The Other Companion
by xXxTerraxXx
Summary: Varric left out a companion from The Tale of the Champion for a reason. Little does he know that she's important to the Seeker too. OC put into the Dragon Age world. Goes beyond DA2. Rated M for later chapters.
1. Chapter 1

**A/N: **Sup guys?! So I'm obsessed with Dragon Age and have been for a while. Soooo, I'm trying my hand at writing it! God I hopw it goes well... HERE WE GO!

_Disclaimer: BioWare owns all of these characters (except my OC). Please support the offical Dragon Age releases._

It was a cold night in the middle of winter. Mina had stopped shivering hours ago. Now she was just shaking; convulsing. She'd lived on the streets of Dallas for years, and usually could find a place to keep warm durring the winter. This was the first time she didn't have anywhere in the world to take refuge. She slowly closed her red-brown eyes. This was it. She knew as soon as she fell asleep she wouldn't wake up. She wrapped her arms around her torso as her platinum blonde hair fell in front of her face. _'At least I tried. I helped others who had less than I did...'_ She smiled at the thought. She had an extra set of clothing, a coat, and even shoes. The kids that she'd helped earlier that fall were practically naked. Poor things.

Her last thoughts were of a little girl with short brown hair and big green eyes. So thankful and yet still sad. The black took over.

A gruff male voice reached her ears, "She's just a kid, Broody. We can't just leave her here. Especially with the Qunari tearing Kirkwall to shit."

She lay still , aching all over.

"We can't take her with us. There's no way we could take in another lost soul... Even if she's an Elf," argued a grouchy sounding male voice.

A woman argued with the grouchy male, "Well, if you, won't _I_ will. It's my duty to protect all of those in this city!"

Mina realized she was being held and whoever it was hadn't joined in the conversation yet. What befuddled her even more was that she wasn't dead. And it wasn't cold anymore. In fact, she felt intense heat as if a fire were burning close by.

She groaned and fluttered her eyes open to see peircing baby blue eyes looking at her, almost hidden by thick black hair.

"Well, hello there cutie. Are you okay?" he asked, voice soft and smooth like velvet. He smiled through thick facial hair that made her insides flutter.

Everyone stopped arguing about her and looked at the man who held her. She was naturally shy; painfully so. Without thinking, she hid her face in the man's chest. He was wearing armor, so it was hard to do.

_'Wait... armor?! Why the hell is he wearing armor?! AND WHY IS HE HOLDING ME?!' _she shouted in her head. She felt a rumble through his chest. He was laughing.

"Merril, it looks like you'll be her friend for now. Hey, cutie, I'm going to set you down ok?"

Still embarrassed, she nodded.

When she was on her own feet, she looked around. It was bizzare to say the least. Fires burned everywhere, rubble cluttered the ground and what stunned her the most were the people she saw before her. She'd seen them before... At one of the shelters she'd stayed at there was an xbox and some of the kids used to play a game called Dragon Age. She'd watched it and loved every second of it.

"I-I'm... I'm in Kirkwall," she stammered, "No. Fuckin' way." The companions before her stared curiously. Fortunately, the little elf, Merril stepped up. Mina remembered she was a mage who used blood magic, but was incredibly sweet, yet annoying at times.

"Yes, you are in Kirkwall. Um... I'm Merril and... er... We're in a bit of trouble right now, but Hawke and the others will keep you safe. Of course, I'll help to! Unless you'd prefer to run that is. I mean... Oh dear, I'm messing this up aren't I?"

Mina smiled and shook her head, "No, Merril. Thank you. I think ya'll are the safest bet right now." Her accent was thick as ever. The little elf smiled and nodded.

"We'll get to introductions later. For now, lets get those horned bastards out of our city." '_Varric!'_ Mina squealed in her head. He had been her favorite companion of all. But, in the current circumstance, she knew it wouldn't be a good idea to reveal that she knew what was happening. Or what would happen later on for that matter. Even if it was a dream or she was just going completely insane, she wanted to enjoy it. With that in mind, she glanced around for Anders.

He was towards the back of the group. _'Of course he is. He's a mage and the healer. Better if he doesn't get too threatened or Justice might pop out to say howdy-do.'_ That made her wince. It had been an upsetting part of the game. She felt sorry for him, but a bit scared of him at the same time. But back then it had only been a game. This was... a dream maybe? Or maybe she was dead and this was her version of heaven? Not that she'd been good enough according to all that she'd heard.

A loud roar interrupted her from her thoughts. A group of Qunari were charging at them from the steps of what Mina thought must be the Viscount's Keep.

She'd never been that great at fighting, however she had had to defend herself a number of times. She dove under one of them and kicked the backs of his knees. Bigger people were easier for her to take down. She didn't need a weapon to do some damage. She;d learned just the right spots to imobilize someone.

Hoping it wasn't too much different for a Qunari, she stabbed her fingers into the side of his neck right before he fell to the ground. It wouldn't kill him, but Mina didn't really want to kill.

After a series of flips and dodges, the skirmish seemed at an end. Everyone was wiping blood from their faces and loosening their grip on their weapons.

"She certainly knows how to defend herself," Fenris remarked with a raised eyebrow.

Aveline nodded in agreement.

Mina simply looked down at the ground. It was always trouble to call attention to oneself. OR so she had been taught... harshly.

"Good! She'll be even better company," Hawke said excitedly. He sheathed his sword and re-adjusted his shield. Then, they were on their way up the stairs. Mina knew exactly what was to come. She only hoped that Isabela would show up. She wanted to meet the sassy woman and she'd liked the outcome better when Isabela came back.

Just then, a Qunari mage sent out a shockwave of magic that made everyone disoriented. Mina groaned and grabbed her head, desperate to strike at him before he could hurt anyone. Alas, he was casting an ice spell that was aimed right at Hawke.

It seemed impossible to her own eyes, but as fast as the spell seemed to grow, it vanished. An older woman with blonde hair dressed in full heavy armor pulled her sword out of his back and stared the group down.

"I am Knight Commander Meredith," she said with authority looking at Hawke, "And I know you. The name 'Hawke' has turned up in my reports many times. Too many."

Hawke opened his mouth to speak, but she turned away and kept talking, "But that doesn't matter now. The Qunari are taking people to the Keep and may already be in control. We will need to deal with them..." She turned back and looked at all of us. We all knew too well what the Qunari would do with those who did not accept the Qun.

Hawke stepped forward and nodded, "I'll do whatever it takes to defend my home."

Meredith nodded and eyed Merril and Anders, "I'll overlook your current magical company _for the moment_... Head to the Keep. I will find more of my men. They will pay for this outrage!" She turned on her heel and walked away.

_'Ugh. I don't see why she struts around like she owns Kirkwall.'_ Mina thought, curling her upper lip. She didn't mind mages at all. Sure, things got out of hand in Kirkwall, but most mages were people who just wanted to be left alone or to learn how to control their abilities safely.

It was too soon that they saw even more bodies littering the ground. From the looks of it, they were mages. Mina spotted a man looking around the distruction.

"Orsino!" called Hawke.

Orsino seemed to be in a daze. He crouched down next to an unmoving body and began to try and heal it.

"It's no use, Enchanter. Whoever it is... they're dead," Anders tried to persuade the elf man.

Orsino kept muttering to himself. Hawke bent down, conscerned. The horror on the Enchanter's face said that he hadn't even realized it. Hawke closed his eyes a moment and sat silent to honor the fallen.

It didn't last more than a moment, "Enchanter Orsino! I've found a few others... They're ok. A little shaken,but- Brother?!"

Mina recognized the voice. It was Hawke's sister, Bethany.

"Bethany! Thank the Maker you're alive!" he cried happily as he ran to her and hugged her tightly.

As Mina watched them curiously, the others seemed to be looking around for any more Qunari. As fate had it, they found some at the bottom of the steps leading to the Keep. Meredith marched a handful of her troops up as we finished them off. Of course.

And as per Mina remembered they argued about what would be done about the remaining horde of Qunari waiting at the doors to the Keep. Mina grew impatient with the bickering between them.

And, so once again, her tongue spoke before her brain could catch up, "OH FOR FUCK'S SAKE!You know, the longer we wait the more people we lose. Why can't you two just work together for ONCE?! Mages attack from afar and Templars can charge them. No one will try to escape, so shut it and protect your city!"

The arguing trio, Meredith, Orsino, and Hawke all looked at the small woman. As did everyone else. Right when she thought the Knight Commander was going to hit her in the head with that giant templar shield, Varric spoke up.

"You know, she's got a point. You can hate each other later, right?"

Hawke chuckled and nodded, "You're right. Let's play nice for now, shall we? I'll go in and deal with the Arishok..." His eyes clouded in thought for a moment. Whether it was about just _how_ he was going to deal with the Arishok or about Isabela.

And thus started one of the most memorable moments with Hawke Mina could remember. It was a bit of a blur since she was exhausted anyway, but the strangeness of being in Kirkwall blurred it even more.

Hawke tried to convince the Arishok to go home. Right as they were about to come to blows, no one other than Isabela showed up. Of course Hawke was raging pissed at her, but he set that aside for the people he was trying to protect. In his mind that was his friends and his family.

The Arishok demanded the pirate as a prisoner, and Hawke refused.

Hawke ended up worse for wear, but the horned giant lay dead at his feet. That in itself seemed pretty impossible. And yet Mina saw it with her own eyes.

All bloodied and battered they went back to Hawke's mansion. Every one of them including Bethany. Leandra fussed, Hawke's mabari whined, and everyone found a place to crash.

The morning brought another kind of headache. Mina woke up in the study, loud voices calling her out of a warm slumber by the fireplace. Varric was sleeping in an armchair to her left and Merril was on a cushioned bench towards the back of the room. Mina smiled at them, still asleep after the yelling.

It was one loud voice really. Hawke seemed to have recovered from the night and was laying into Isabela.

"I know it could have saved your life Isabela, but you honestly fucking think that I CAN'T HANDLE THE SON OF A BITCH HUNTING YOU?! AND IN THE END I SAVED YOUR LIFE ANYWAY! AND I'LL SURE AS SHIT DO IT AGAIN! THAT'S WHAT FRIENDS DO AND IF YOU EVER-EVER- DO A SELFISH STUNT LIKE THAT AGAIN..." he sighed and lowered his voice, "I'll leave you to fall flat on your ass. There are more people to think about than yourself. Everyone in this shite group of lunatics cares for you at least a bit."

Isabela stood with her head held high and her hands on her hips, "It's good to be alive Hawke. Thanks for that. I deserve all that, but don't get sappy on me, sweetheart.."

Mina poked her head out of the doorway, rubbing her eyes. They both looked over to see who it was. Hawke smirked and raised an eyebrow.

Isabela sauntered over and looked Mina over a few times, "Who is this darling creature? I didn't know we had more than one elf! Fenris will be upset he's being replaced."

Mina blinked a few times and felt her ears. They were pointed after all. She'd heard them talking about it last night, but she'd thought it had been a mistake.

"She's my cutie," Hawke said, wrapping an arm around her shoulders, "We found her collapsed by the Alienege. It was really weird. No one had seen her before."

"Oooh~ Are you going to keep her? If you don't I will~" Isabela purred.

Mina's eyes went wide and she jumped out between them, "I'm not a pet! You can't just claim me!" Instead of a protest, it ended up being a scared squeak.

They both laughed. Varric walked out of the study, one eye open to the light in the main hall.

"Leave the kitten alone. You two are awful," He walked over to Mina and smiled charmingly, "If you are going to stick around, kitten, I wouldn't spend too much time alone with either of these two. Verric Tethras at your service."

Mina couldn't help but giggle at his introduction, "You always introduce yourself in some grand way don't you?"

"How ever did you know?" he said with a wink.

The day slipped by quickly. Mina spent the day with them at the Hanged Man, celebrating, and listening to Varric's stories. They were amazed about how little she knew about Thedas. So, she carefully explained that she was from somewhere very far away, and she didn't have a clue as to how she ended up in Kirkwall, much less the -newly named- Champion of Kirkwall's arms. Both of which Hawke was extremely proud of. Secretly she hoped he didn't make a habit of picking up random women on the street. Quite literally. They seemed to take her presence in stride. Even Fenris, who made it clear he was pleased she wasn't a mage, and that she was an Elf other than Merril.

Varric ended up offering her a room at the Hanged Man, which she gladly accepted. He was turning out more like an older brother to her as the days went by. He semi-taught her how to gather helpful info and arranged for her to hone her hand-to-hand combat with Aveline's supervision. And despite his and Fenris' protests, she felt herself being drawn towards Anders. He was the least vocal about her and it piqued her interest. He was more quiet than she thought he'd be. It was honestly a bit unnerving. He watched her more than the rest; helped her in card games more than the others; payed more attention to even the smallest of her wounds than he did the others'. She was determined to find out why.

**A/N:** Sorry I skimmed over the big Arishok scene. We've all played it before, so I didn't feel the need to repeat the whole conversation. Plus, I'm not rewriting the game. Forgive me if it seems rushed. I've got a lot more to go, so I promise it won't be short.


	2. Chapter 2

**A/N: **Great, fantastic response to the opening chapter! I'm so excited~ Thanks guys for reading and I'll try my best to make it interesting for you. Btw, is anyone waiting for the subtle hint that Mina could possibly be a mage?

Sarah: What makes you think that? ;D You'll see.

_Disclaimer: BioWare owns all of these characters (except my OC). Please support the offical Dragon Age releases._

Mina pulled her hood tighter over her head as she walked to the Hanged man. It had been a little more than a month since she had miraculously found herself on the streets of Kirkwall. And... she was enjoying it very much. Not only had she earned herself a place in the mismatched group of the Champion's, but she was now one of Varric's best spies. No one expected a wide-eyed little elf woman to be so dangerous.

With a dark smile, she slipped into the piss-smelling tavern and sauntered up to Varric's room. The regulars moved out of her way and the barkeep grabbed her a drink.

She knew Varric wouldn't be there; he was with Hawke on an Isabela mission. Of course, Mina had wanted to go. She adored Izzy. But, she'd had a conflicting assignment, so Anders had taken her place.

They had gotten much closer in the past month, her and Anders. When she could, she'd help out at his clinic, soothing the children and chatting with the adults. No one there cared much that she had pointy ears, which had become a sore subject to her. But Anders helped her control her temper as well as hone her talent for helping others. She'd gotten pretty good at stitching and setting bones. As a consequence... she'd gotten better at flirting too. Even if the mage seemed to try to want everyone to stay away from him, he looked at families enviously, and young couples hungrily. He wanted someone to be close to him and care what he did; to have someone to live for.

Mina sighed and threw her knives at the wall while she waited.

It wasn't too much longer before Varric Tethras himself walked through the door. He grinned when he saw her.

"Hello, dear little sister. To what do I owe this pleasure?" he asked.

She smirked and raised an eyebrow. He'd claimed her as a Tethras at least in spirit. However, she always introduced herself as Mina Tethras. No one lived long enough to repeat it though.

"I miss my friends, brother. Does there have to be something for me to come and see you?" she teased him. Even if she did really want to hang out with everyone. Especially Anders... She kind of gave up on Hawke. He was flirty with everyone and took no one seriously. As was per the norm in his strange limited mind.

"Because you _always_ have something for me," he whispered in a dangerously calm voice. They both knew what he asked of her was something he would not ask lightly.

Mina pulled her hood down and swept her long silver hair over her shoulder. She had found a few things out, and had only moments to deliver them. Hawke and the rest would barge in and interrupt them.

"I've found them. Well... it isn't _them_ per se. It looks like them and fights like them. Buuut... They act and sound more like blooded minions. They chant something in an old language and wander around places everyone- every_thing_- seems to have forgotten about. One of them said something about going to Fereldan though."

Varric rubbed his chin with one hand and rubbed Bianca with the other, "Sweet Andraste's sweet ass, I have no idea what they're doing. Not throwing their Commander a birthday party I'd wager."

"Aw! But I love cake! And drinking~!"

"You love anything that's against the Chantry, kitten."

It was true. Since she'd arrived, almost everything to do with the Chantry seemed like bullshit to her.

"Hehe~ I'd love to go to Orlais and show 'em. Sin and cake!" She jumped up and posed like a hero.

Varric doubled over in laughter right as everyone walked in. Of course they asked what was going on.

Mina plopped down on the floor in front of the fireplace and rolled her eyes, "Varric said I liked anything ot go against all that Chantry rubbish, and I agreed. I'm going to start a cake eating cult in Orlais!"

That got everyone laughing. Even Anders. But of course Hawke had to ask her why she hated the Chantry and blah blah blah.

"For the thousandth time, Hawke, I don't dislike your Maker and his holy woman. I just think people that say 'Mages are rubbish! They're stupid! Lock them up for all of eternity!' are dumb and should the stick removed from their ass," Anders nodded and grinned at that and Fenris scowled, "And those fuckheads that say 'Elves are lowly and rubbish too! They're not real people! RAWR RAWR RAWR!' Should be hit in the head with a building!"

Fenris chuckled at that, "Yes. Unfortunately that is not a popular opinion."

Isabela sat in the chair Mina had been sitting in and beckoned her closer. Mina scooted closer and relaxed a little as the Pirate played with her hair. Izzy had a talent for making Mina feel better after a long day. This was why they had become best friends and occasionally pretend lovers to scare men off. Or... to make the guys' go brain dead for a few moments.

"So..." Hawke started, "What'll it be tonight? Another game of wicked grace? Dice? Drinking games?"

"Drinking games! Mina's cuter when she's drunk!" purred Isabela.

Merril shrugged, "I don't much care. I'm better at dice than cards."

"I'll drink no matter what we do," Varric pitched in.

"I do feel the need to drink tonight," Anders commented.

"So, that's two of drinking games and one for dice! Fenris, Aveline, what'll it be?"

Aveline shook her head, "I'm not much for drinking Hawke."

"But you're off duty tomorrow, _Captain_," Mina sang with an evil grin.

Fenris shrugged, "Drinking it is."

Izzy and Mina cheered as everyone grabbed a seat at the table. It would be a fun night after all.

Mina climbed up on the table, her leather pants stretching tighter along her backside, and stood up, looking around at everyone. Anders' face was a little red and Hawke had a grin on his face as did Izzy.

"Ahem! I want to show you something I've been practicing. I'm not really sure exactly what it is, but..."

Varric already knew what it was and covered his ears.

Fenris looked at her curiously as she smiled, "Usually I do this to stagger those I fight, but this is different."

With a swish of her hands, music started to play. The bigger her hand motions got, the louder the music was. The smaller the hand motions got, the more quiet the music was. It sounded like violins, cellos, and harps playing. Of course, they didn't recognize the song. It was from Mina's world. Mina smiled as she played it.

_'Radioactive the way Lindsey Stirling played it. Doesn't sound as awesome without Pentatonix.'_ she mused to herself.

Without realizing, she'd begun to quietly sing, "I feel it in my bones... 'nuff to make my systems blow! Welcome to the new age, to the new age. Welcome to the new age. To the new age-"

She stopped and sat back in her chair.

"That was... amazing, cutie," Hawke said, eyes round.

Fenris nodded in agreement as did Varric.

Anders cocked his head to the side, "Was that magic, Mina?"

"Venhedis! No. not another mage!" cried Fenris.

Mina looked at him a little hurt. She liked Fenris. Not the way she liked Anders, but he'd been a good teacher and became an almost-friend. She scowled and looked at Anders.

"Not that I know of. I'm not a mage; _not that I would mind_,"nshe said giving Fenris a pointed look.

The look on his face said 'what did I do?!'

Merril visibly got less excited.

"Anyway, let's just get to the drinking, 'kay?"

Everyone seemed ok with that and so began their night of fun.

Everyone ended up piled into Varric's giant bed. Merril slept on one side in Isabela's arms. Then there was Varric on his back with Bianca cuddled to his chest. Anders lay beside him, with Mina's head on his chest. Hawke's arms were around her waist and his face nuzzled her back. Lastly there was Fenris who had his back to everyone and his arms crossed.

Naturally, Isabela was te first to wake up.


	3. Chapter 3

**A/N:** Thanks to DragonReckoning for being a vocal reader! I hope you guys liked the last chapter and had a happy Holiday, however and whichever you celebrate. Please don't be shy to comment on something! Seriously, I LOVE hearing from my readers whether its good or not so good. Sorry for the late update... It's been one heck of a year! Allonsy! Here's to hoping this is another good chapter ;D

_Disclaimer: BioWare owns all of these characters (except my OC). Please support the offical Dragon Age releases._

Mina fluttered her eyes opened and let out a squeaky yawn. It was then that she realized she had three people staring at her. Two of which had grins on their face.

"Hmm...? Izzy why are you and Merril smiling like that? An' why does Varric look like he's about to shoot someone?" she asked wiggling.

Merril was about to answer when it sank in.

"Oh. Um. Help?" Mina said lifting her head gingerly from Anders and trying to squeeze out to Hawke's embrace. It wasn't going very well. Anders was beginning to stir and Hawke's arms got tighter. For a split second, she thought about kicking him because he _had_ to be doing it on purpose. Varric shook his head and left the room. Was he not going to fucking help?! She didn't know what to do. Isabela definitely wouldn't help and wouldn't let Merril either. She was stuck until one of the guys woke up. Or rather, until Hawke woke up.

_'Funtastic.'_ Mina thought sarcastically.

Of course, she would've been thrilled to be in between two guys she had a crush on, but it was awkward because Isabela was staring. That and the pirate decided to try and remove Anders' robe. It wasn't as easy as Isabela had figured it would be. In the midst of the moving about and Merril's giggles, they had both woken up.

Hawke's bright blue eyes flashed between Mina and Anders for a moment before he fixated a glare at the mage. Mina's stomach jumped. He had the 'I just woke up and have bed-head but I still look sexy' thing going on. She involuntarily blushed and smirked at him. He didn't seem to notice much to her relief.

Anders on the other hand hadn't quite processed what was going on. She half sat up and looked around. His eyes landed on Mina, who was also sitting up with a pouty Hawke wrapped around her waist, one of his cheeks squished against her side.

"Well, good morning," Anders said with a small smile at Mina. The sunlight from the window hit Anders just right to where his red-blonde hair lit up and made his eyes turn a lighter earthy brown. Mina's breath caught for a second, which she played off as a cough.

" G'mornin," she slurred, still blushing.

Isabela plopped down on the bed her head in Mina's lap, leg raised so her dress slid down her thigh.

"Hmmm~ Looks like everyone wants our Kitten's attention. I'd pay attention all night if you wanted," she said with a wink. Merril looked clueless like usual. The elf shrugged and went to find Varric.

Mina giggled and shook her head, "Maybe some other time Izzy."

Rivaini was a bigger flirt than Hawke but she had bite unlike the sleepy man who was still pouting at Mina's side. Isabela stretched a little and rolled out of the bed.

"Better find Varric! I know he has whiskey hiding somewhere in his coat."

Mina shook her head and rolled her eyes. She watched the dark haired woman go and turned her attention back to The mage who was situating the robe Isabela had been trying to get off. The way he concentrated made his brows furrow. Mina bit her lip and watched him.

She was so distracted she hadn't noticed Hawke sit up and lean in close to her. "Good morning cutie. Did you sleep well?" he purred to her, his breath tickling her neck. The somewhat silky tone in his voice coupled with his closeness made her jump. As well as her hormones.

"Damn it Garrett! You scared the piss out of me!" she turned to face him and was a little surprised to see a sliver of hurt pass over his face.

"Sorry..." he mumbled. He got up and offered her a hand.

She gladly took it and hugged him.

"I did sleep well, thank you. I do need to get going. Varric hasn't given me anything to do and I'd like to keep it that way today."

He nodded and swept her hair behind her ear. He let his hand linger a moment on her cheek before mumbling something and walking out of the room.

Mina stared after him worried that she upset him.

As if he could read her thoughts, Anders answered.

"Don't worry about him. He's always grouchy when he wakes up. What I wanna know is, where did Fenris gret to? I swear he was here last night."

Mina looked at Anders in surprise, "Since when do you care 'bout Broody-butt?"

Right on cue a tan hand reached out from under the bed with a grouchy protest, "I am not broody. Venhedis! My head feels like it's on fire..."

Mina helped the other Elf out from under Varric's bed and up to his feet. He wobbled a moment, but stayed upright. Anders shook his head and excused himself. Always people to help at the clinic.

Mina frowned as he left. She liked the mage being around. It made her skin prickle with excitement. Of course there was the Justice... issue. But, he never got angry when Mina was around.

"You know you shouldn't want him like that da'assan. He will only hurt you in the end. He's no good and a waste-"

"Fenris, enough. He won't hurt me," she said looking at him through narrowed eyes, "And have you been picking up phrases from Merril?"

Fenris stiffened up and looked away, "No. Hakwe takes us there often enough, I've picked up a few things from the hunters."

Mina smiled. She'd tried to get him to learn more than Tevinter and the common tongue. She'd picked up a bit of Dalish herself.

"Why 'little arrow'? Because you're my 'little wolf'?" she aked playfully. He replied with a snort and picking her up.

"You know better than to call me small, woman!"

She let out a shriek before they started wrestling around. Oh the men in her life were rediculous! Two 'big brothers' and... whatever Hawke was. Plus there was Anders. As she struggled to get one of Fenris' arms behind his back, she let her mind wander a bit. Just what w_as_ Hawke to her? He was hot, for sure. But, was she interested in that? No! No, of course not. That would ruin their friendship. He was flirty with every female he found pretty in the slightest.

-_A Few Weeks Later_-

"What'cha mean I can't help?! I want to help Anders, damn it!" Mina argued with the mage once again. Hawke said they were going to try to help calm a Mage-Templar situation they'd been tipped about by a friendly Templar. She'd made a few friends among the mages, one of which was Bethany, whom Hawke failed to mention to her. Bethany was a great friend and brilliant! She'd thought Mina's talent for manipulating sound was fascinating and said she'd ask around about it discreetly. It hadn't been that big of a deal to the Elf woman, but if she could figure out what it was exactly, it might help.

Anders ran a hand through his hair again as he paced. The clinic was empty for once. He sighed and looked at her, worry on his face.

"I know you help Varric, but this is different. You could... You could get hurt. I don't know what I'd do- what _any_ of us would do if something happened to you." He walked over to her and held her clenched fist.

"I'm not a fragile little thing, Anders. If my friends are in danger, or if they need my help, I'm not going to be miles away. I'm going to be right there to shield them if I can. And you better believe I'll kill any damned thing that tries to hurt them!" she snapped angrily. She had a short temper and hadn't had to try to control it in a very long time.

Unexpectedly, Anders drew her into a tight embrace, "Mina... Mina, please. Don't get hurt. don't die. You can't. You don't know how important you are to me. You've been patient with Justice and I. You haven't condemned me or looked down on me; not once. You always make me smile when I feel I can't. You c_are_; about people; about everyone."

Mina pulled back a little to see his face. His sad, sad eyes that pleaded with her. She looked down at her feet, trying to process the words he'd just said.

_'I'm important to him? I can't... I can't belive it! I need to-'_ her mouth was a step ahead of her brain.

She looked up, stood on her tiptoes and kissed him. It was gentle and sweet at first, but then as they both caught up, it got deeper and more passionate. His hands ran through her hip-length silver hair and came to rest on her backside. They broke apart, breathing heavily.

"I'm going Anders. Don't worry, I'll take my bow. Plus, I've got a handsome mage, a mad dwarf, and a crazy human to keep me safe," she said with a smile and a wink before walking out into Darktown. Anders was left watching after her, a smile across his face.


	4. Chapter 4

**A/N:** Oi! I forgot to mention that this fanfic is inspired by Sabaine. Who is a lovely writer of many fics and if you like Dragon Age, you should DEFINITELY read them. Just so you lot know, I'm no good at smut, so you're not getting it. Plus, it's embarrassing as hell to write. If I get too much protest and ya'll want a little bit, I just might work up the courage for one scene. Btw I'm going off script for things except major events. Oh and yes, I know this was in act 1 but, I wanted to do this one. Sorry if it bothers you.

Sarah... oh Sarah. You'll see darling.

Let's get going, shall we?

_Disclaimer: BioWare owns all of these characters (except my OC). Please support the offical Dragon Age releases._

Mina put her bow back in it's holster on her back and walked slowly to the scared mages, "Look, we're not here to hurt you, but Blood Magic isn't the way to go, ok?" She'd taken over talking to them because the girl, Grace, that seemed to be the leader now refused to talk to Hawke just yet. She was a noble looking girl maybe eighteen or nineteen years old. Her red-blonde hair was in a tight bun that matched the neatness of her circle robe of lavender cloth. The girl sneered at Mina and the other companions as if they were lesser beings. That really bothered Mina, but she ground the irritation down. 'I'm doing this for Anders. I'm doing this for Anders,' she repeated in her head.

"There are Templars on their way here now!" Hawke urged.

"Garrett, kindly shut your mouth," Mina said with a smile to take the venom from her words. He shrugged and watched the tunnels with Varric. Anders checked the wounded mages and helped to calm them down. She could tell that Justice was having a hard time with the state these poor creatures were in. Some of them no more than ten years. All of which had become haunted by the Templars' cruelty. The cave was damp and rugged. No place to live, or camp out. Plus, now it was spattered with different shades of blood thanks to their ex-leader Decimus. Who had, unfortunately, been Grace's lover. At the moment, the mages looked more like frightened children than the 'savage killers' they were described as.

"Why aren't you sending us back? You're no mage, so why do you care?" Grace asked with a big attitude that was starting to get on Mina's nerves yet again. She'd been a mouthy little thing from the start.

"No, but Anders over there is. I don't dislike mages. Despite what you lot think, not everyone hates you guys. Plus, that guy you don't want to talk to? His sister is a mage. We have another mage friend, who is an Elf. You need to run ok?" Mina rubbed her eyes gently. This was giving her a headache. How come every mage that took leadership seemed to have the 'poor me' thing going on? Anders... had his moments as well.

"What about the Templars? They know we're here! What would you tell them?" she retorted.

Mina snapped a bit then and got in Grace's face, "Look, hun, you and your friends either scat, now, or end up back in the Circle you so desperately wanted to escape. Beleive me when I say that we can handle a few Templars. I've been through worse by myself. So... Leave."

Grace scrunched up her nose and turned away, "Come on, everyone, we're heading for Starkhaven."

Mina threw a rock at the wall after they'd left and muttered to herself. Varric and Hawke sauntered into the cavern snickering. Anders stood beside Mina and rubbed her back reassuringly. He seemed relieved that they had come to a peaceful arrangement that didn't end in the mages being sent back to the Circle. His black feathers brushed her face and tickled her neck only slightly. She secretly wondered why he always wore feathers and what he looked like out of them. She pictured his body not too muscular but definite muscle tone. Slim, but sexy. He didn't need a tan to be considered sexy in her mind, despite what everyone back in Texas thought. Varric shook her from her silly thoughts then.

"I thought for sure you were going to snap her neck, kitten," Varric teased. Mina scowled and stuck her tongue out at the Dwarf. Hawke picked her up and twirled her around, earning a glare from Anders.

"Haaaaaawke!" Mina yelped.

He laughed and situated her on his back, "You did the heavy lifting, cutie. I'm just helping~."

"Fine, fine. Then, can we get out of here, boss-man? I wanna get back to Kirkwall. Izzy and Merril wanted to show me something. I swear if it's anything to do with that mirror... Venhedis! I'm gonna strangle her."

Hawke laughed at Mina, "You sound like Fenris. Don't tell me you're going to be Broody Junior!" Varric almost tripped laughing. Anders looked none too happy. Mina playfully hit Hawke on the head, feeling his soft black hair envelop her hand. 'Maker, I love his hair! But... he does need it cut a bit,' she mused to herself.

"Fenris is one of a kind, I assure you. Now, let's GO!" she urged the man holding her. He obeyed for once and started jogging towards the entrance where Ser Thrask was waiting. As were more Templars. Mina looked at Anders and mouthed 'Stay back' to which he nodded happily. She slid off of Hawke's back and watched the large group nervously.

"Where are the mages Ser Thrask?" the knight Mina recognized as Ser Karras asked. He was known to be cruel and to purposely cause mages harm and blame them for anything he could think of. Mina's tried her hardest to hide her disgust.

"Ah, Ser Karras, I-" began Thrask.

"Who is that?!" the other Templar interrupted.

Hawke crossed his arms and looked outraged, "You don't know who I am?! Varric, tell this man who I am. This is an insult!"

Without missing a beat, their Dwarven friend spoke up, "Messere, you wound us! Knight Commander Meredith called in Knight Commander Hubert herself! You have disgraced his honor."

The Templar scowled and shook his head, "What of the mages?"

"Some of them are dead, but the rest escaped before we could catch them. Looked like they were headed to the coast," Varric answered.

Satisfied, the knight nodded and commanded the others to march back to Kirkwall. Ser Thrask sighed with relief and nodded his thanks to the group. Hawke picked Mina back up and they started walking back to Kirkwall as well. Although, a different route.

They were in the Lowtown market when Mina started feeling the sting on her leg. She knew a mage had got her with a fireball but she'd thought it just grazed her. 'Damn... this really hurts. Did they get me that bad?' she thought wincing with every step. Sure, she had a few cuts and bruises, but they weren't anything to be too worried about. She refused to let Anders heal her. Relying on magic wasn't something she would let herself get used to. If that happened, she'd be too reliant on someone else. As it stood then, she could patch herself up pretty well.

Hawke noticed her limp and stopped, "Hey, are you ok?" She nooded and kept walking. Anders had gone back to Darktown, after he stole a kiss. Varric had noticed but hadn't said anything. He'd gone to talk to the Merchant's guild about his brother not too long ago, so it was just her and Hawke.

The dark haired man put a hand on her shoulder and kept her from going any further.

"You can't lie to me, Mina. You're hurt; I can tell by the limp, genius," he said with a gentle voice.

"C'mon, Garrett, I'm sure it's nothing. Let's just get back to your house. I want to see Leandra. Haven't seen her in a week and I'm sure she'll fuss about it for hours."

"Don't change the subject. Why didn't you tell me about it? Or Anders for that matter?"

He was really cute when he got all protective. She'd never admit it or tell anyone. Especially not Izzy or Merril. He got closer to her and demanded an answer with his eyes. Those beautiful, beautiful blue eyes. The color of a bluejay's feathers.

"I honestly didn't notice it until now. Would you stop looking at me like that damn it?!" Mina turned away and tried to hide her blush. Thankfully it had just gotten dark, so it would be harder to see the red in her cheeks.

Hawke smiled a little then, "Look at you how? I'm just looking at you, cutie."

"Shut up and let's go. We can look at my leg at your place. It's really not that bad," she insisted. She was trying to convince herself as well as the man she was now leaning on.

Hawke had her sit by the fireplace in his study. It felt more like a miniature library from Beauty and the Beast. She looked around it for the hundredth time and smiled. How she loved books. One of the librarians back in Texas let her get a card. It was free, of course, but you had to have an address. She'd let Mina use her own. A kind lady. That's where Mina had gotten blankets for the kids and herself... It was a happy thought that made her miss the place she left. The theory of her being dead wasn't dismissed, but she'd thought about other possibilities. Maybe some stray magic had pulled her to this world. Assuming magic was actually really real. Or perhaps she was in a coma and this is how her mind was coping. Her mind wandered back to the thought that she had just gone mad from too much cold and someone had found her. She was likely in an asylum, rocking back and forth in her own world. The thought terrified her. Some friends of hers got sent places like that for no reason.

Leandra and Hawke walked in, disrupting her thoughts.

"Hello, darling. How are you feeling? You look a bit banged up. Would you like some tea?"

Mina smiled at the dear woman. She imagined if she could remember her mother, she would have been like Leandra.

"I'm just a bit tired. Long walk. I don't suppose you have any cold tea?" It was a southern thing. She'd never cared much for hot tea. Cold, sweet iced tea was how she liked it and that's about all she would drink. That or warm peach tea. Maybe that's because that was all she could get back then...

Leandra chuckled and handed her a cup. "I knew you'd ask, dear. I had Orana make some up for you. It is curious why you like it that way, though."

Hawke looked at Mina's injured leg as they talked. They had determined that it wasn't a terrible burn, but she would have a scar. Bohdan gave him some cooling salve to put on it. It really stung and felt hot even as Hawke put the cold white paste on. She could feel the skin already starting to wrinkle up like how it did after a bad sunburn.

She continued her conversation with Leandra,"Where I'm from, Ma'am, it's a common thing. It's usually pretty hot there, so we like our drinks cold. Not to say we don't like warm drinks like hot cocoa and coffee, but we usually keep something cold near by." She'd never talked much about her home. It felt good to share some memories. She felt Hawke's eyes on her. He'd finished bandaging her leg and was listening intently, sitting on the floor like a kid. The fire seemed to make him more dark and handsome than usual. The effect it had on Mina's heart rate bothered her. She wanted Anders, not Hawke... right? Not Garrett. She could never!

"Oh! It sounds different. How far away is it?" Leandra asked. Mina smiled and looked at the doorway to see shy little Orana listening in too. She loved stories. The way her little ears seemed to perk up and her big green eyes lit up with wonder.

"It's... quite a ways," she smirked,"It is very different from how it is here. Where I'm from there are no slavers and no slaves. People are pretty much equal. You are free to love who you wish, be who you want. There aren't any nobles, but... there are rich people who act like it. No one is better than the other. Although, people act like it too. No matter how much money they have. We do have our problems, but I worked as hard as I could to make things better for me and those around me..." Mina trailed off and stared into the fire. Her life hadn't been that great. She knew that. But it could have been much worse. Seeing how Darktown was and especially hearing about Fenris' past, she knew she'd been lucky not to be homeless in this world. Sure, she had a room in a smelly tavern only because of Varric, but she had a job and could pay for a place if she had to. Varric insisted she stay close when she was in town.

"Thank you for telling us about your home. I think I'd better get to bed. I must go see Gamlen early tomorrow. Weekly visit. Orana, I think it's time you went to bed as well," Leandra said, politely excusing herself. Orana nodded and left to finish her duties.

Mina hugged Leandra before the older woman left. Hawke took up the seat next to Mina, but scooted it closer. He put his hand on hers, the room silent but for the dying crackle of the fire. It was warm and rough. He had many calluses and a few scars from fighting and training. He helped Aveline from time to time train the Guards what to expect from someone who fought dirty.

"Was your life hard?" he asked quietly. It was almost a whisper and Mina barely caught it.

She took a minute to answer, "In some ways, yes. I had no home, no way to make any coin. I tried my hardest to take care of the other kids on the street. I got lucky and found places that were dry and warm in the winter. Except... this past year. I almost froze to death."

Hawke kissed her hand, "I'm sorry. It must've been awful... What about your parents?"

Mina shrugged,"I don't really remember my mother. She must've taken care of me for a while. I remember light blonde hair and soft brown eyes. But, I don't think I ever knew my father."

They sat in silence for a while before Mina decided she should get back to the Hanged Man. Garrett offered to walk her back, but she declined. People knew better than to mess with one of Varric Tethras' people. She mostly wanted to get her mind off of how sweet Garrett was being to her; how his lips felt against her skin. It was different than the kiss her and Anders shared. It was more tender. She shook her head and quickened her step. The air was growing more and more chilly.

It was relatively quiet for the Hanged Man when she got to the place she now called home. Varric was at his table telling the story of 'The Champion and the Ogre' to a few drunk patrons. Mina rolled her eyes and went back to her room. Right as she went to open it, she heard an angry cry. It was Isabela. That woman had the worst timing! Of course, Mina had promised her she'd be by after they got back from saving mages- again.

"Where have you been, Mina? I thought you were going to come by Merril's earlier?" the pirate raged.

Mina looked at her friend defeated, "Sorry, Izzy. I had to stop by to see Leandra. The woman can talk. That, and I had to get my leg patched up."

Isabela went to work questioning the poor Elf woman about what happened and why she was hurt. How did she get hurt? Why didn't Anders fix it? What was going on between her and the mage? Mina made a mental note to scold Varric later. As skillfully as she could, she deflected the questions and made her excuses for needing to go to bed. Isabela narrowed her eyes and promised it wasn't over. A threat Mina knew was very true.


	5. Chapter 5

**A/N:** How's everyone doing? Good I hope! Everyone liking the story so far? If ya'll wanna see something relly badly, TELL ME~! I'd take your idea into consideration. Or, you could write a FanFic about it yourself :D That would be cool.

Mina sat in her bed, looking around at the place she now lived. It smelled of stale ale and faintly of piss. The floor was sticky in spots and cold. The wood was rotting in a few places. It was better than no place to live. It was definitely better than what she'd had before. But, she missed the familiarity of her world. The knowledge of what was going on and knowing what she would face each day. She missed the dusty library and the lady with the gentle heart that had helped her. She even missed that silly Texas pride. Oh, she liked being in this.. this world of fantasy, but despite it all, she was alone. Varric was great for stories, but he hid too much. Fenris was not a sharing kind of person. If she was honest with herself, none of the people she knew knew her at all. They never asked about where she came from or how she got to Kirkwall in the first place.

Mina felt cold, thich tears rolling down her lightly tanned cheeks. Out of all the things she was afraid of, being completely alone was the worst. That was her greatest fear. She pulled the grey scratchy wool blanket up around her as the tears kept streaming down her face. As much as she was attracted to Anders, he didn't seem interested in her as a person; only that she didn't dislike mages. She hoped desperately that wasn't actually the case.

Fear wracked her that night until the early hours. It was the fear that she was crazy. The fear that she would always have to act like she was 'ok' and that she was tough. Scattered memories of her mom came to her then. It gave her a small amount of comfort.

"Momma... what's wrong with me?" she asked the open air,"Why am I here? Why did you leave me?" She hid her face in her knees and bawled until her lungs felt filled with fire. She knew no one, not a soul, would or could answer her questions. She was, infact, alone.

Not more than an hour later did she hear the groaning creak of her door. Quiet, but heavy footsteps entered and stopped close to her bed. Mina's head was pounding, her throat dry, and her eyes stung. She was not willing to entertain whomever the intruder was.

"Kitten, are you going to look at me? I already know you've been crying all night. Nora told me," Varric's smooth voice called to her. She slowly lifted her head up to look at the Dwarf. He was in his usual duster but had a dark blue shirt on opposed to his usual red.

"Go 'way Varric," she sniffled pitifully. He pulled up a chair and looked at her silently. He was waiting for her to tell him what was wrong and wouldn't take no, or in her case 'go away' for an answer. Stubborn as she was, she held her tongue. Besides, she was embarrassed to be seen in such a state. She'd always had to keep a stiff upper lip. She always had to seem strong so no one would worry.

Finally Varric broke the silence, "Alright. Mina, I'm seriously worried about you, kid. What's got you so worked up?"

She shifted uncomfortably. He never called her by her name. Not once since Garrett picked her up. She knew as soon as she opened her mouth, she wouldn't be able to stop. She wanted to tell someone, plus, Varric was the only one she felt would really listen.

"Varric, I'm going to need you to trust me, ok?"

With a wary nod to confirm, she sighed.

"What... what am I to you, first off? Am i just an informant? Some weird Elf you picked up off the street?"

"Makers balls! Is that what this is-?" she cursed with a chuckle.

"No. Just answer me," she demanded a bit harsher than she intended.

Varric looked taken aback by her outburst. He saw her as the 'quiet-follow-orders' type of person. The quiet part may have been spot on, but she was defiant in some way, shape, or form. She usually did things her own way if she could get away with it.

"Ok, ok. Geeze, don't know what's gotten into you. No, you're not just one of my spies, and no you're not just some Elf we picked up. you're weird, yeah, but you just sort of fit. I'd like to think of you as my unofficial sister of sorts. Why?" He's started to clean Bianca, as was his routine when he woke up in the morning and got back at night. She was the love of his life and his weapon of choice. No one could take care of her better.

Mina rubbed one of her temples gingerly. The throbbing had lessened, if only slightly. Her heart, instead, was thumping in her chest. If he didn't believe her, she'd be sent away or whatever they did with people they thought completely lost it.

"No one ever asked me how I got here. Hell, no one even knows my favorite color!" Varric raised an eyebrow in question to her cursing. Hell wasn't something they said here, but she used it often enough they were getting used to it.

Sunlight was poking through her tiny window. The glass was a bit dusty... She made a mental note to clean it off later. Not that she'd see much. A whore plying her trade, a plain brick wall, or some vendor's stall.

Varric played with Bianca's trigger, making sure it wasn't sticking, "I'm going to guess... green? And we'd all assumed you were a refugee from Ferelden. You do have a weird accent."

Mina snorted, "No, Orlesians have a weird accent. My favorite color is silver by the way. And, no, I'm not from Ferelden. This is the part where you're going to swear I've been possessed by a demon or something."

Mina told Varric about where she'd came from and about her life there, excluding the 'Dragon Age is a video game' part. He seemed confused about how she was a human there and an Elf now. It puzzled her just as much. She also had to pause and explain what a few things were like cars, or how they had light without candles and fire. That made her smile. He always liked getting every detail he thought was interesting. An hour had passed before she finished the tale with the night she'd fallen asleep outside in the snow.

Varric took a deep breath and shook his head. Mina was nervous. There was no way he believed her. She couldn't blame him either. The whole thing sounded absolutely insane to her. Traveling to another world? Such a thing was not possible. And yet, here she sat. Unless, of course, she truly was mad after all.

"You should be dead by all rights. But... how did you get here, Kitten? You don't remember," he shook his head again with a look of disbelief on his face,"This shit is weird."

Mina let out the breath she hadn't realized she was holding and hugged the Dwarf, "Oh, thank God! You actually believe me?!"

Varric hugged the startled Elf and chuckled,"Yeah, I guess I do. I'm pretty good at reading people if you haven't noticed. You didn't lie and I'm reasonably sure you're not crazy."

Mina closed her eyes and drank in his comforting scent. It was subtle but smooth cologne and a sweet ale mixed. He'd become her source of refuge and her protector. They both knew it, but neither would say it. She pulled away and smiled at her 'brother'. His stubble was getting thicker. He needed a shave, lest he look like an Orzammar Dwarf.

"Thank you, Varric. I just... I didn't know how to tell anyone. i didn't think you guys would want me arou-"

"Don't get all sentimental on me now, Kitten. All of us like having you around. You've managed to squeeze your way into Broody's stone heart and completely stole Blondie's," he said getting up from the chair. Mina giggled and got out of her bed, still dressed in yesterday's usual black leathers.

"That reminds me.. YOU TOLD ISABELA?! You do realize that all of Lowtown and half of Darktown know now, right? Plus everyone at the Rose, and...!" she sputtered out furiously. She was about to say a name she knew she'd regret saying. Varric would use it in awful ways in his stories, depending how he told them each day. She threw a shoe at him, which he dodged.

"Hey! Rivaini kept asking me about it. As an honest man and a storyteller, I was obligated to tell her," he answered slipping out of the doorway as he did so.

Mina growled at him and stomped her foot like a child. He was such a gossip! But, she wasn't going to let it get to her right then. She had to see what was 'oh-so important' to Merril. She doubted Izzy really cared about whatever thing her Elven lover was excited about. She only seemed like it to keep Daisy happy.

Mina looked through her dresser for something to wear. Anything would do as long as it wasn't armor. Most things she wore were black. A terrible fashion crime to those who cared enough. She pulled out a dark grey cotton shirt and a silver vest she just loved! It was made of satin and had these vine looking designs on each side. On the left was her favorite part. There was a black velvet wolf that had many eyes. It sat howling. Mina thought it looked sad and lonely. Hawke insisted that wolves howled for communication and that a wolf always had a pack, so it would never be alone. Mina wasn't so sure. Peeling her eyes off of her wolf, she searched for a pair of black pants to go with her outfit. Her boots, which were also black, shockingly, were the only pair of shoes she owned.

After a quick bath, she put her silvery hair into a bow-shape at the top and let the rest cascade down her back. It was quite funny that her hair was now her favorite color. It used to be super blonde, which she hated. Her hair was a pain to maintain. It got annoying at times, but she couldn't get herself to cut it just yet.

"Alright, off to Merril's. Hopefully it's not another trick to get me to go gather herbs for her," she mumbled to herself as she navigated her way through the busy tables of the Hanged Man.

She walked slowly along the dirt roads of Lowtown. Everyone seemed busy trying to make some coin or haggling prices. Some were drinking, like usual. Some were simply talking outside of their homes. This was like the suburbs she'd seen not far from Dallas. She'd liked to take walks. She'd never had any other way to get around anyway. Today, though, it seemed like walking was a bit harder to do. The burn on her leg still stung. It may have been her imagination, but it felt like it hurt more. She tried to ignore it.

She waved to Lady Elegant, one of Hawke's old contacts under Athenril. She was nice enough, but struck Mina as a woman who thought too highly of herself. Ugh.

The other Elves smiled and waved to her as she entered the alienage. They saw her often enough and weren't as suspicious of a fellow Elf as they were of humans. She picked up a toy horse that had fallen behind a rock and handed it back to the child who had been crying about it. He smiled, revealing a missing tooth. She ruffled his brown hair and sent him scuttling back to the other children. She stopped at the big tree and placed her hand on it. She hadn't spent that much time around other Elves, city or Dalish. But, something about the tree made something stir inside her. The bark felt rough, but it thrummed with some kind of energy, she couldn't name. Red veins ran through it and mixed in with the brown and green. It was a bit of nature in the city. A reminder that there was beauty in all places. If she knew a prayer in the Elven tongue, she would have said it, but alas, she didn't.

Mina rapped her knuckles on Merril's door, only to hear someone crashing around inside. Mina furrowed her brows wondering if maybe the little Elf was being robbed. However, right as Mina went to open the door herself, the happy face of Merril appeared.

"Hello, Lethallan! I wasn't expecting you today, but-er, come on in!" she said in her slightly panicked way. She always sounded a bit panicked. Mina figured if Merril had something to hide it was a puppy she'd picked up or that she had another argument with her Keeper.

Merril's house was mostly clean, but had scant furniture. There was a small wooden table with a couple candle nubs, a couple of chairs and a very small couch. Of course there was Merril's bedroom with the tiny bed and that seriously creepy-ass mirror.

"Aneth ara, Merril. I came because Isabela said you had something to show me. Well, that and you know I enjoy talking with you," Mina said with a grin. Merril jumped up and down a moment and grabbed Mina's hand. Apparently the other Elf had forgotten just what was so important and urgent that Mina had to see. Much to Mina's dread, they went to Merril's room and stood right in front of the mirror.

"Merril, I-" Mina began.

"No, Lethallan, please just trust me. I saw something! It was unbelievable! Touch it," Merril begged.

Mina swallowed the dread in her stomach. The twisted ancient wood that surrounded the blighted thing added to the creepiness. The mirror itself was still cracked, but it held together rather well. Merril was working up the courage to ask her Keeper for the tool to finish it. Mina hoped that would never happen. Who knew what this thing could do.

As if it would ease her nerves, Merril muttered an Elven prayer and finished with, "May the Dread wolf never catch your scent, or find you."

IT was all superstitious nonsense to Mina. Just to rile Merril up, Mina retorted with a saucy smile, "Let him find me. We'll see who's more of a trickster then. I'd love to play with this wolf of yours."

Merril frowned. It almost looked like she was pouting.

"Oh for-! I'll touch it, ok?! But if something weird happens, go get Hawke," Mina amended earning a smile from her friend.

Slowly, she reached out to touch the cold, broken surface of the thing she hated. The last time anyone touched it, it had released the Fifth Blight. But, when she touched it, she got a vision of herself melting through the ground in Dallas where she'd fallen asleep. She reappeared in a place that seemed forever foggy. It had hundreds of mirrors just like Merril's. Leafless trees curled up into a sphere at the top like a mage's staff. It was eerie to be sure. Mina's vision self still lay on the ground asleep. But, out of the fog, she saw a dark shadow. It was a very large dark shadow too. No, that wasn't right. It was like a shadow within shadows. It made no sound as it moved despite the speed it traveled at.

She realized as it got close to her sleeping body that it was a wolf. It was her wolf; the one on her vest. "Andraste's sweet ass! That's gotta be the fucking Dread Wolf!" Mina yelled. Suddenly she felt hot. Not just hot, but like her entire being caught on fire. The pain in her leg was searing and she felt herself collapse onto Merril's floor just as her wolf looked at her.


	6. Chapter 6

**A/N: **Hello everyone! So, big news to share! DragonReckoning and I are doing a kinda collab thing. I'm writing the part of Mina, of course, and Dragon will be doing a spin off of a character connected. Soooo, if you wanna keep up both adventures that would be funtastic! Not telling how the character is connected. _Spoilers~! _Anyway, let's get to the chapter, shall we?

Merril shrieked when Mina hit the hardwood floor. It wasn't supposed to be like this! The mirror was supposed to show something wonderful. The little Elf struggled to get her silver-haired friend onto the modest bed that took up not even a quarter of the space in her room. It was obvious that Mina was in great pain from the look on her face and the sweat starting to bead on her brow. But what to do? Hawke would surely be furious...

"There's no one else that can help! Oh, no. Nononononono..." Merril panicked outwardly, "How am I supposed to get him?!"

An idea popped into her head. Everyone knew who the Champion of Kirkwall was. She could just send one of the older boys to go get him and then everything would be ok! He would fix it, like he always did and Mina would be all better. She just hoped he wouldn't scold her again. He always scolded her for being careless. Even if he was just worried she hated it. The Keeper did it enough.

Merril ran outside and grabbed the first boy she could find, "Please, please can you go find the Champion for me? Tell him... tell him it's Merril. Oh, and it's an emergency! I'll, er... I'll give you a silver for it." The boy smiled and ran off to find Hawke. Now... what to do until he got there. She was no healer. That wasn't exactly her strongest point in magic.

Hawke stood in the main hall of his estate talking to Fenris about some slavers they had caught wind of. Nothing too big, but every person was worth saving. Fenris was leaning against the wall next to where Sandal stood playing with a weirdly smooth rock. The boy was always clean and kept but had a far away look in his eyes. Hawke knew he understood more than he could communicate. That boy... he was different. That was for sure. Garrett sighed and looked up at the high wooden ceiling. Every time anything came up about slaves, Fenris was all over it. He couldn't blame the Elf, given his past, but it seemed that everyone in the bloody city needed something. And it always happened at once. Like with Aveline and Isabela. Though, that ended up being pretty much the same thing.

"Hawke. Are you even listening?" Fenris asked in his monotone voice. Garrett grinned apologetically, earning an eyeroll from the Elf. IT was just a habit of his to tune Fenris and Anders out if they got to talking about what he and Varric called their 'favorite' subjects. Which reminded him... he had to remember to burn the latest stack of Anders's manifesto that he'd found scattered around the house. It made good kindling.

"-But if we're going to get to their base on the Wounded Coast, we need to be ready. They have more than just mages with them this time," Fenris finished talking again. Hawke was ready for him this time and nodded in agreement.

"Well, if they're Tevinter mages, that won't be pleasant, but we can take whatever mercenaries they've got. Or 'trained' soldiers. I'll be sure to let Aveline know. She'll want to go with us." They always took Aveline with them on Slaver runs. She was good at distracting them. Probably something to do with her late husband being a Templar.

Bohdan interrupted their conversation, "Excuse me, messeres, but there's a messenger from Merril at the door. Says it's an emergency."

Hawke jogged over to the door, worry already clouding his mind. He knew Mina was supposed to go see the little Elf woman that day. The boy had on dirty clothes, ripped in several places. He wore no shoes and had dirt every place. He looked a bit timid too. His dark eyes darted to and fro, brown hair a mop on top of his head.

"Hey, kid. What's this I hear about an emergency?" he asked with a kind smile. The best way to get an accurate message was to be nice about it.

"Ser Champion, um... this lady said you was s'posed to come to the alienage an' help 'er wif sommin. She said it was really important. Said 'er name was Merril or... sorry sir, I don't remember. She was scared she was," the boy reported truthfully. Hawke sighed and gave the boy a gold piece. He was going to give him one more message.

"Thanks, boy. This is for your good work. I need you to deliver one more message for me. You up for it?" the boy nodded, "Alright. I need you to go to the Hanged Man and find the storyteller. His name is Varric. Tell him Hawke needs him to get to the alienage." With another nod, the boy was off.

"Bohdan, I need you to get Anders. use the secret tunnel beneath the house. No need to get Isabela, she'll be at the Hanged Man drinking. Aveline doesn't need to be bothered just yet." He gave his orders firmly and quickly. There was no knowing just what Merril had gotten herself into this time. Or if she'd gotten Mina caught up in it as well. He and Fenris rushed off to save the day. Again.

_Mina tried to steady her breathing. Everything was dark; no that was an understatement. She couldn't see anything at all. It was a sheet of pure black everywhere she looked. The trees had vanished, her sleeping self had vanished, and her wolf had vanished too. It had frightened her a bit, but right as the burning sensation filled her body, she felt a calm swoop over her. It had come from the enormous wolf-creature._

_The big problem was that she didn't know where she was or what was going on. Had she gone into that blighted mirror? Was she blind? Either way, she blamed Merril's magic gone awry. That's always how it ended up. The first time she'd had a blue patch on her back for a week that itched like crazy! The second time Isabela had ended up as a bird for an hour._

_"Hello?" she whispered, hoping nothing malicious could hear her, "Is anyone there?" Her heart pounded in her ears. She was sure that if something was out there, it wouldn't have to hear her talking. Her heavy breathing or pounding heart was sure to give her away. A light shone in the distance, no bigger than the tip of her pinky finger. It illuminated a pond and a shape that looked like another person. Well, she hoped it was a person at least. Warily she crept closer to it. She was about seven feet away when it turned it's head to look at her. It was an Elf man. She couldn't really tell what he looked like for the light made it just as hard to see as the darkness did. But, beside him sat the wolf. It tilted it's head and looked at her. it's fur was as black as the darkness around them, but it stood out somehow. It's eyes were a strange shade of green that seemed to glow iridescently. The man reached a hand out to her, but... an echoing voice called to her._

"Mina! Mina, you have to wake up for me, cutie. You need to open your eyes. Wake up, Mina." It was Garrett. So... she was asleep? It had to be. She had looked up for a mere second, but when she looked back, the man and the wolf were gone. Only the little light remained. It looked like a ball no bigger than a lightbulb. Such a strange thing. She felt herself get heavier and the stinging she hadn't realized left came back. The burning worsened...

"Mina, wake up!" Hawke help her upper half in his arms, wiping her forehead off with a cool damp cloth Merril had given him. He'd taken over for her when he and Fenris arrived. The latter was pacing Merril's front room angrily. He hated magic of course, but seeing Merril, a Blood Mage, hurt someone he cared about set his lyrium markings glowing.

Merril stood in front of her stupid mirror watching Hawke and Mina with frightened eyes. "I didn't mean to!" she'd explained. Hawke shooed her away. He didn't want to hear it. She never meant to cause harm or have the magic malfunction.

Mina's eyes fluttered open accompanied by a groan. "Maker... It's so hot in here. Wh-what happened?" she asked weakly. She felt so heavy now. It was like someone dumped a pile of boulders on her. The first thing she saw was Hawke's worried face hovering above her. His eyebrows were knit together and his gorgeous blue eyes full of anger and anxiety. She reached up and rubbed the side of his woolly beard. It had grown out quite a bit. He did his half smile that made her stomach flip. It was uber sexy even upside down.

"Welcome back, cutie. You had me worried there for a while. I know you feel awful, but I told you that leg of yours was trouble."

She could've punched him, but he was right. As much as she hated to admit it. Something in the mirror seemed to amplify whatever was wrong with her leg. She looked down at it and groaned again.

It wasn't wrapped up anymore, and much to her dismay, it was discolored. It had various hues of blues and purples along with the angry red from the burn. Something else had to be mixed in with that fire. Anders burst into the room, disheveled, hair almost falling out of his usual ponytail.

"Merril, out! Hawke, you can stay. I need to start healing her leg now or she'll lose it," he snapped. Within seconds, he'd assessed the situation and knew what needed to be done. He was an amazing healer for sure. Mina smiled up and him. He returned her smile, but much more shaky.

"You know me: can't stay out of trouble!" she joked wincing when he pulled her pant leg up more. He just shook his head and patted her thigh tenderly.

"Hawke, I need you to try to keep her body temperature stable. No more wet rag. She's going to have to sweat this fever out. If she gets hot too quickly, she'll start to shiver and it might throw her body into shock. We can't let that happen."

Mina braced herself for a fight. She'd been sick before, but nothing ever too bad. She knew this would be much different. The looks on Anders and Hawke's faces told her it was worse than she'd originally thought. There was a cooling sensation as Anders started to use his magic. Blue light came from his hands. She'd seen it a million times, but it had never been used on her. Somehow she expected it to feel different. Maybe more painful?

She thought a second too soon. The pain shot up her leg into the whole left side of her body. Immediately she could feel her body get hot.

"They used poison. Looks like deathroot extract of some kind. I can get most of it out and counteract the rest with a potion," Anders said triumphantly.

"Great! Now make it stop fucking hurting!" Mina yelled at him. Hawke pulled her overshirt off and fanned her with paper he'd found on Merril's dresser. She was sweating bullets. Her whole body felt clammy and drenched. Hawke's hands rested on the back of her head, coated in ice provided by Anders. Mina fought desperately to keep her eyes open, but they were so heavy. She was so very tired. Her body was so hot.

Anders voice woke her up. He sounded like he was trying to quietly argue with someone. she heard snatches of their conversation. It was about her. She looked around groggily, to find herself in a room that was closed off by drawn curtains on three different ropes. Behind her the wall was stone. To her left she saw a nightstand with a fat white candle. It looked like it had been burning for a while. The room was too light for ti to be night... She had a sudden realization that she knew where she was. Someone had brought her back to Anders' clinic! She was in his room. Or... sleeping space as it were. She'd been in there once before when she was comforting him about a past nightmare. One of his friends had been made Tranquil. It had happened long before she'd shown up, but all the same, she felt awful about it.

She slid out of his bed and ducked out from behind one of the heavy curtains. A few people were standing around waiting, a couple others were in beds, having been treated. The healer himself was a few feet from Mina arguing with Garrett. She limped over, aware she was wearing her pants and boots, but a man's white cotton shirt. She kept pushing the sleeve up. It was the least of her discomforts though. Her leg was ominously stiff. She hoped that didn't mean what she thought it meant.

"I know you're a healer, but shouldn't she be in her own bed? It'd be more quiet there!" Hawke argued.

"In the Hanged Man? Are you serious? She'd be lucky not to catch an infection!" Anders replied hotly.

Hawke growled at his friend, "If it's that you're worried about, she could stay in the guest room at my place! Either way, she should be somewhere where she can feel comfortable!"

Mina rolled her eyes. They were both being stupid, "Oi, boys! Shut it will ya? People around here are ill. Your yelling won't help them." They both looked startled to see her out of bed. Anders pulled her into an embrace and kissed her head. Hawke looked mildly annoyed, and diverted his gaze. Ignoring Hawke's obvious discomfort, Anders gave Mina a peck on the lips.

"I'm so glad you're awake. You've been out for days. Five to be exact. you really shouldn't be out of bed," he fussed. Mina giggled and pushed his face away playfully.

"I'd rather be helping others. I'm fine, really. The only thing is, my leg is really stiff. Did I...?" she trailed off leaving the question open. He knew exactly what she was asking. He laughed and shook his head.

"Your leg is fine. It's probably the bandages need changed or they're too tight. I'll fix it later, love."

Hawke made a gagging noise, "Seriously, will you stop. It's obnoxious enough watching you fuss over her while she's sleeping. It's another to see it when she's awake."

Mina swallowed hard. Isabela or Varric told everyone apparently. She was dreading this moment, but Garrett seemed ok. She wasn't even sure why she was worried what he'd say. She didn't need his permission. Especially when he was being such an ass about it. His attitude towards their slight display of affection bugged her. He groped women all the time in front of tons of people. He'd openly made out with Izzy before her and Merril were a thing. With a glare sent Hawke's way, she pulled Anders in for another kiss. This time it lasted much longer.

"How was that, Hawke? You feeling nauseous now?" she snickered at his expression of disbelief, "Like I said, I'm staying here, ok? I can help Anders and he can keep an eye on me."

Hawke's expression instantly changed to stormy. He turned on his heel and started to walk away and muttered a 'whatever.' Mina frowned. He was acting really odd. He'd never gotten mad at her like that. She wondered what was getting him so upset. Then again, he did have a lot on his plate, being the Champion and all. She decided to ignore it for now and try to talk with the patients that seemed lucid enough to talk with. She told stories, caught up with a few familiar faces, and stitched a few minor injuries.

Hours later, she decided to take a break. She was tired already; a feeling she really wasn't used to. That wound was really taking a toll on her. Her mage followed her to the back of the clinic, concern written across his handsome features. She loved how his smile went up to his eyes; how straight his nose was; how his stubble tickled her hand when she put it on his face. He set her heart tingling like his magic did her skin.

"Hey, I've got a question for you!" she said cheerfully, trying to hide her nagging worry.

Anders tilted his head a bit to listen to her.

"Well, uh... Hawke seemed a bit... tense. Did something happen while I was out?" she asked.

Anders started to say something then paused. He was thinking about how to say whatever it was that had shaken their friend.

"He received a letter from Orsino the same night your leg got worse. Something happened with some of the Circle mages and... they took Bethany hostage. The girl we helped escape ended up getting caught. It was her that took Bethany. Hawke had to kill Grace. She killed Ser Thrask and turned into an abomination. It was... terrible. Bethany is fine at least."

Mina hugged Anders from behind. He was just as distraught over this as Hawke was. She was grateful that Bethany wasn't harmed, but there were so many senseless deaths in the feud between mages and Templars. She saw both sides and thought mages should've been allowed to have normal lives, but be required to take lessons at a Circle. In return, the Templars would still be able to keep a close eye on Mages. Phylacteries were something she still remained undecided on. They were useful, but the thought of someone always knowing where she was sent a shiver down her spine.

"Why didn't Hawke ever tell me about her? I mean about her being in the Circle?" she asked meekly.

"Because he's mad at himself for letting her be imprisoned like that. He tried to protect her, but it wasn't quite enough..." They drifted into a cold silence.

Anders shook himself from thoughts Mina could only guess at and returned to his smiling self. They were done for the day, so they could finally spend time together.

That's how Mina's days went for three weeks. Her leg had finally healed up, but things between her and Hawke had grown even worse. Hawke had become distant from everyone. He'd been out trying to solve a murder when the clues pointed him towards his dear mother as the next victim. From what Mina had heard from Isabela, Fenris and Aveline, it was gruesome indeed. At the time she'd gone out on a small mission for Varric. It was a regular thing, checking up on other contacts, but when she got back, a cloud seemed to hang over everyone. They'd gathered at the Hanged Man in Varric's suite like usual. Except, Hawke was missing. Varric updated her on what had happened and how a deranged Blood Mage had taken Leandra. Hawke had gone into an angry stupor since and hadn't left his estate save to visit Bethany.

Bethany had been terribly upset as well, however her response was much less aggressive. She cried much, and went to the Chantry in the Circle. Mina tried to visit her friend as much as possible, but she had no idea how to comfort someone grieving. She hugged a lot and murmured a few comforting words when she could. It seemed to help a bit. But, Mina couldn't figure out a way to help Hawke. He seemed untouchable at the moment. When anyone went to see him, save Varric, he got pissed off and started yelling. He even threw a table at Fenris. Fenris phased through it, but it didn't end well. Hawke ended up with a bloodied nose and a bruise on the right side of his jaw. That was Fenris going easy on him.

Mina resigned herself to let her moody friend mope alone for a while. there was nothing she could do,nor words she could say to help get him through his grieving. Not that she wanted him to just get over it, but maybe calm down. Cry a bit and keep Leandra's memory in a good way. There had to be something... She'd ask Fenris and Varric. They seemed to be the only two that could stay in the Hawke estate for more than twenty minutes anymore.


	7. Chapter 7

**A/N**: Sorry about skipping a lot and all that. I didn't want to do it exactly like the game. If it was exactly like the game, you could just replay it and it'd have the same effect. I know the last chapter was a bit longer than the others. If you guys like that, I'll try to keep it up. If not, I'll cut it back again. I try to keep it down to 2,500 words per chapter not inculding this part. As always, enjoy the chapter!

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><p>Fenris' mansion still lay in shambles, however it felt much more like home. Warm conversation echoed throughout. Mina sat perched on a table, crosslegged discussing what to do about Hawke with her two beloved brothers. Varric sat thoughtfully drinking some wine Fenris had brought out, in a plush brown armchair on one side of Mina. Fenris sat to her otherside in a dark green armchair, equally as plush. None of them had came up with anything serious to cheer the mopey man up. Varric suggested sending in a girl from the Blooming Rose, they all got a laugh out of the mental picture. The poor girl would've been greeted by what Varric called 'The Horny Demon'.<p>

"He'd be so pissed about it he couldn't help himself! He'd bed her and be done with it, but he'd be pissed about it the whole time. He'd enjoy her in his sheets, but he'd come after us if he found out it was our idea!"

Fenris chuckled at that while Mina had to stop herself from falling off her table. Fenris' idea had not been much better. He suggested that they take him to sort out Meredith and Orsino for good. He'd yell out all of his frustration and all would be well again. The Templar and mage would crawl away, tails between their legs and remain silent for a while longer. He hated mages, but disagreed with how the Knight-Commander was handling it. That was a subject they actively avoided.

Mina listened to one of Varric's stories about the Hero of Ferelden that he'd heard from someone a couple of years ago. She'd heard it before, but it seemed to change more and more each time he told it. This time, the Warden broke himself out of jail using only a wooden spoon and a bow. Last time he'd had arrows at least and a sword too. She wasn't really listening though. Her mind was weaving through the maze of what to do. It occurred to her that getting out of his house might do him some good. He needed to get some fresh air. Probably needed a bath and a shave too. Children whispered that he was not 'the beast' of Kirkwall. Mina grimaced each time she heard them. He had lost his brother already, felt that he failed his sister, and now he blamed himself for his mother's death. He probably felt more alone than she did before she'd told Varric about Texas.

"I have an idea!" she announced, cutting Varric's story short and making Fenris jump a little. Varric frowned at his empty glass then turned his attention to her.

"Ok, so he definitely needs to get out of that damned house right? So, one of you convinces him to get out for a bit. Nothing too rough, just a walk down the wounded coast. It'll be a couple hours at least. And you both know there's _always_ trouble on the coast. It'll help him feel like himself again. And, I'll go with you guys that way, if he wants to talk, I'll be there. No offense, but neither of you are very... emotional." The guys looked at each other and shrugged. They knew she was right, and didn't take offense to it at all. She grinned at her genius. The only thing to do now was to figure out how to get the bugger out of the house.

It was a warm afternoon in Kirkwall, there was a breeze that felt nice on Mina's skin. She and Isabela walked along the docks, looking for a certain merchant boy who had... slightly more rare stocks than anyone in Lowtown market. Isabela winked at a few men who were ogling her scantily dressed curves. She loved the attention, but remained loyal to Merril. For now. Mina worried that the pirate would tire of the little Elf and sail off to a bigger challenge, so to speak.

"Oooooh! What do we have here?" Isabela said to herself, "I have to see it again! C'mon Kitten, you'll wanna see this too."

Mina made a face at her friend but let herself be dragged along. They seemed to be going toward the opposite side of the docks from where they were supposed to be. Likely, Isabela saw someone carrying a crate of liquor or saw a nice looking man she wanted to drool over for a minute. It was an everyday thing anymore. Isabela pulled Mina down to crouch behind a stack of crates that smelled suspiciously like rotten fish. Mina screwed up her nose and tried to keep the bile from rising in her throat. It was disgusting.

"Izzy, this smells awful. What are we doing?" she whispered. Isabela smiled and put her finger to her lips. She was watching someone. Mina peeked between two of the wooden crates and tried to spot the person that had Izzy's undivided attention. The poor bastard. There was an old man in fisherman's clothes, obviously one of Athenril's smugglers, a boy playing fetch with a dog and a stick, and... an Elf with hair almost the same color of Fenris'. Actually it was in between Fenris' snow white hair and Mina's own silvery locks. The woman turned to the side and made Mina's heart stop. She looked almost exactly like Mina. The same nose shape, eye shape, and same frame even. The hair was a bit different as was the way this other Elf carried herself. She seemed way more graceful and confident opposed to the way Mina always tried to find the darkest corner to hide in. She was used to darkness and deception. This other woman almost looked like a noble. She had a green cloak made of what looked like Fustian Velvet and nice brown leather pants on. She had to have been paid well. Mina wanted to know who she was and just what she did. Most of all, _why did they look alike_?

"The fuck?!" was all that Mina could get out before Isabela dragged her over to the woman who was talking to the fisherman-smuggler. They caught the tail end of the conversation.

"-I'll need that shipment as soon as you can get it, Lewin. They're waiting, and I'd hate to see you get in trouble. It would not be pleasant." She smiled genuinely at the old man who reciprocated her smile. They seemed to be on good terms despite the business Mina assumed they were doing. Both of them looked over at the pirate and the Elf stumbling after her. Fantastic. Just what was Isabela up to?

With her best 'good girl' smile Isabela tried to charm the woman who looked like Mina, " 'scuse me, sweetheart, but I need you to come with us. It's kinda important." She ended with a wink at the old man, to try to convince him they weren't going to hurt her. Which was completely true, but random people showing up and wanting you to go with them somewhere usually ended badly. Mina's face was concealed by her hood, and she resisted pulling it up further to avoid suspicion.

The woman narrowed her eyes and held her chin a little higher, "May I why you need me and who you are?" She talked precisely, much to the annoyance of Mina. Definitely like some noble's pet. Maybe she was a noble from some place that actually liked Elves. If a place like that actually existed.

To avoid Isabela dragging the woman kicking and screaming, Mina pulled down her hood and put her hands on her hips. The old man stared wide-eyed at the two Elven women.

"Because, sweet pea, you and I are going to have a chat. I'd like to know what the fuck is going on right about now," she said raising her eyebrows. It was like looking into a weird mirror in which she was a bit taller and more... proper. Blech. Proper.

_'Damn it all! Hawke's going to have to wait. Or... maybe not.'_ she thought to herself shooting a wicked smile Isabela's way. The other Elf looked at Mina astounded then to Izzy, and back to Mina again. She seemed just as confused as they were.

They ended up at the Hanged Man, like usual. It was always their rally spot, or their place to unwind. It was familiar ground to all of Mina's friends. That was probably why. Isabela insisted that Mina's twin change into something more... 'appealing'. Maker knew what that could mean. Mina leaned against the wall right outside of Izzy's room listening to muffled groans and protests, followed by an adamant "Yes you will!" or a "It looks great on you, sweetheart!" Just then, Varric walked up to Mina with a frustrated look on his face.

"What is it Varric?"

"Well... I got your message. Uh... Hawke's here. So is everyone else. They're in my suite."

She sensed that everything was not well. "And... is he behaving?"

"Like a child pouting. Luckily he hasn't started drinking yet. Or breaking things. It's an improvement to how he usually is. Aveline's talking to him. Seems to be helping," He sighed and swung his arms, "Hope your surprise is worth it, Kitten."

Mina smiled mischievously at her brother. She knew it would be. Just the mystery of it had to be enough to at least distract Garrett for a second. Plus, her 'Twin', as Isabela decided to call her, was pretty. That would certainly catch butthead's attention. Moments later, Isabela walked out, towing Twin behind her who was scowling at the ground. Even when upset she floated. She didn't walk like everyone else. Andraste's tits she was like a princess!

"I'll go set up the mood. You two need to walk in together. And, make her take that stupid cloak off!" Isabela insisted.

Mina and Twin rolled their eyes at the same time, earning a giggle from the pirate. Mina hated how Isabela was making them into a show. But, whatever. Either way, she wanted their combined minds to help her figure out what was going on. They may not have been the best minds in Thedas... or in Kirkwall... _or in the Hanged Man_... But, they were her friends and there was no other group of people she'd want to be around more.

She turned to the woman whose name she still didn't know and smiled, "Hey, sorry 'bout this. She gets excited, and, well I know the people you're about to meet are weird as shit, but they're good people. Uh, and my name's Mina by the way."

Twin's eyes widened a little, "Mina did you say? Nice to meet you. I am curious to see your... friends. Are you from Kirkwall or did you come from somewhere else?" Mina opened her mouth to answer, extremely confused to why she would ask that. Odd. However, Isabela interrupted them by hollering for Mina to come in. Mina half-smiled, hooked her arm with Twin's and made their grand entrance.

"Hey everybody!" she greeted their motley crew happily, "Nice to see you out and about, Garrett." He looked at her and grunted. Grumpy arse. At least he was out of his ugly house robes.

She continued by pulling Twin's hood off, "We have a strange... thing. It's not a problem, really, but you can see my point."

The other Elf shifted uncomfortably, "I am... unsure of why we look so much alike." She looked like she was blushing a little. The red in her cheeks got much more noticeable when Isabela snatched the cloak off of her and ran back to her seat, cackling. Mina looked around the room at everyone. What caught her eye, she expected, but it still planted a seed of anger in the pit of her stomach. Hawke had perked up noticeably once they revealed Twin.

"I'd say this is a good thing," Garrett purred with a grin on his face. It was the grin Mina had secretly come to love so much. Maybe this was a problem after all.


	8. Chapter 8

**A/N:** Hiya everyone! Not getting much feedback except from Dragon (thank you for that btw), so it would be awesome if someone could pipe in. Maybe just say how you like something or dislike something? Despite the ideas I have already, ya'll commenting on certain things helps me decide if I'm going to keep something a certain way or not, or decide whether or not to go down road A or road B. If you're not the reviewing type, I respect that and thank you for reading. Anyway, uh... more interesting things to come!

The introduction of Ceras went well enough. Finally they got the name of Mina's 'twin'. All seemed pretty calm now. Mina stood quietly by Varric's fireplace as everyone talked and laughed. She didn't know why it bothered her so much that Garrett seemed so interested in Ceras. She had Anders, and was happy about that. He gave her much attention and they shared sweet moments. And yet... she felt like he was getting colder toward her. More often lately he'd spent time with his mages and come back to the clinic late. She'd stopped staying there as much and he didn't seem to care. Was he bored with her? Was it because she wouldn't...? _No_. She shook the thoughts from her head. She refused to think that Anders wanted her for sex. She'd never had someone special to her, nor had she ever been intimate with someone. He didn't seem like the men that the older women in the shelters had told her about. She sat down cross legged and stared at the flames that were slowly engulfing the scorched logs. Anders had left early, seeming somewhat uninterested in the strange development that was Ceras. She wondered why. Was there something bothering him? Was it an emergency? Why didn't he ask her for help? Again she thought she was being paranoid. He was just worried because things were getting worse between Meredith and Orsino.

Those two daft bastards just wouldn't talk nicely. Since Garrett stopped showing his face, they'd had free reign to tear at each other's throats. Grand Cleric Elthina had stopped them a handful of times, but it did nothing to salvage the situation or make peace. Mina sighed for what felt like the hundredth time. Fenris put a hand on her head and ruffled her hair. She looked up at him with a frown and tried to fix her hair that was always in the way. It was time for a haircut. _'Anders likes my hair long,'_ she thought before pushing the thought away.

"You're sitting here and it's quite depressing," he said, joining her on the carpeted floor. It wasn't often that they got to talk just them anymore. She enjoyed the sense of realism Fenris had about him. He brought her a new perspective when all she could see was the craziness from Varric or Izzy. Merril was no help, and Aveline was always busy. Bethany was understandably hard to see.

"Sorry," she mumbled and bumped shoulders with him. He smiled a little and bumped her back. Her brothers. How could she go on without them? Completely different, but both great men. They sat there in silence, listening to Varric chatting with Aveline, and Merril's endless questions for Ceras while Isabela added a quip and drank everything alcoholic within sight, while keeping it away from Hawke. Hawke joined in with Merril once it was made clear that he wasn't allowed to drink. Mina scowled and looked at her feet.

"I can't help but notice that you seem upset about something. Hawke maybe? Or Anders?" he whispered. He understood the need for privacy more than anyone else in their group. She gave him a look that said she would rather not talk about it where Varric had even the slightest chance to hear them. They both got up and waved goodbye to everyone. Varric raised an eyebrow suspiciously. He saw something in her eyes and knew she was upset as well. She smiled reassuringly then kissed the top of Hawke's head in farewell. He looked up at her and smiled a small smile. Ceras looked alarmed that she was leaving. Mina held no dislike for her. In fact, she felt oddly drawn to her in a way; like there was something important to be explained. To ease the woman's nerves she whispered to her, "Don't worry, I'm sure we'll see each other again. I do live here now. I'm just going to talk to my brother a while. Enjoy the company of the Champion~!"

Trying to hide her nervous heart, she danced over to Fenris and took his arm with a sly smirk. It was her trademark to be trouble. It was hardwired into her brain to act rebellious. Especially when she felt uncomfortable or sad.

The two Elves walked in the brisk early evening air in comfortable silence for a good while. They'd made it to the outskirts of Kirkwall before she decided to talk. Fenris knew she needed time to gather her thoughts.

"So... I know you hate Anders with a passion; any mage for that matter, but I do care for him very much," she began.

He snorted, leading her down a trail to the forest they often visited when they sparred, "That much was obvious, da'assan." She smiled at his nickname for her. He'd coined it the day she'd finally hit the target in the barracks. Aveline had wanted her to train with a weapon instead of just fighting bare handed. She was still pretty awesome at hand-to-hand combat. No one expected it!

"Shut it, you!" she snipped back playfully, "That wasn't what I was going to tell you. I was going to say that I think there's something wrong. He's been acting more... Justice-y. He's been cold to me lately and I don't know why."

Fenris stopped and grabbed her by the shoulders. His face was a storm of emotions for just a second, then just angry like usual. "Did you give him your body? I swear if he took that from you and then..." He growled with a primal tone. "I swear I will _rip his lungs out so he suffocates_. A slow death like he deserves."

Mina's eyes widened in horror. Fenris was really upset by this. Even more than she was, which was odd to her. Shouldn't she be distraught over it? She didn't think too much about it.

"Fenris, no. Maker, _no_. I'm still pure, if that's what you're worried about." Her cheeks were aflame. He'd thought the same thing she did earlier and she felt guilty about it. Satisfied, Fenris let her go and they continued to walk. The trees began to get thicker around them. It instantly became darker, but they knew the way well. There was a clearing with a river and a miniature waterfall not far ahead. Mina could already hear the water flowing. It made her feel a small semblance of calm in her somersaulting heart. Nature in this world seemed so much more enchanting. It seemed more alive than she'd ever felt. It might've been because she was an Elf, but she didn't feel very Elf-y.

They sat above the waterfall on the far side of the river. The rocks were grey and covered in moss and dirt, but proved good enough seats for them on multiple occasions. Birds sang overhead, saying goodnight as the sun sank down below the horizon. It wouldn't be dark for another hour or so. Mina hated the dark. At least having Fenris with her made it not so bad.

"You're worried that he's become uninterested in you because the spirit is overwhelming him? He's been an abomination for a while now. He's not been just Anders as long as you've known him. As long as _any of us_ have known him. I don't want to hurt you, da'assan, but..." he trailed off and looked at her sadly, letting his feet dangle in the cold, clear water. Mina could feel the tears welling up in her eyes. She tried to force them away by watching the little fish swimming. It did not work.

"Fenris... I can feel it starting to hurt. I... I don't like this feeling. It did matter so much before, but..." she stopped when her voice broke. Tears started to fall. He nodded. He understood what was going on in her head.

"You have hidden feelings for Hawke. I know. But, you feel he's interested in Ceras, so you're pushing them away. Your heart is focused on Anders... and it's breaking." She nodded, unable to speak. He hugged her with one arm. She knew too much contact with another person hurt him, so she was glad for the small comfort he offered.

"I would... not let it bother you too much. He has not broken it off. You are worrying over something that has not yet come to pass. It may not come to pass." Even as he said it, she knew he didn't believe it. He had no faith in the mage, and only wanted her to feel better. She didn't. She knew deep in her heart, her breaking heart, that she'd be without him before long. It hurt her more than she expected it to. The feelings she'd had for Hawke made her longing for Anders a dull ache. But by burying those futile feelings, she'd uncovered the pain of being alone again. Though, it wasn't so bad as before. She had friends; her own mismatched family. But, no one to call hers. She hated her mutinous mind so much. Why did she have to think about Garrett like she did? Couldn't she just forget those stupid feelings? She could try to get Anders to open up a little more about the mages. They seemed to be taking over his life anymore. She didn't dislike them, just the affect they had on him.

"We should get back, Fen," she sniffled, "It's getting dark..." He gave her a look for the nickname but helped her up. She hardly ever called him by anything except his name.

On the way back, she was surprised to hear him ask her to do her 'sound trick'. He still thought it magic, but she hadn't showed any other signs of magic, so he didn't think it evil at the very least. She happily obliged, as music was something she often took comfort in. She decided to 'play' something she thought he'd like. Beethoven's Moonlight Sonata and Fur Elise.

It was late when she walked into her room at the Hanged Man. She was tired from crying and walking. She didn't notice the figure sitting on her bed and turned to go to it when she jumped, seeing Anders sitting there.

"Oh, jeeze! Anders you scared the shit out of me!" she shrieked walking over to him. He just looked at her with a deep frown on his face. A knot formed in her stomach.

_'No... no, please. Not yet,' _she begged whoever was out there. It was a silent prayer to the Maker or the Creators, or whatever was watching over them. She sat down beside him and put her hand in his. He squeezed it gently and looked at her with those sad eyes of his. They were more glowy than usual. Justice. Mina swallowed hard.

"A-are you ok?" she asked quietly. She knew the answer and dreaded what he would say.

"Mina, I needed to talk to you. I wasn't sure where you were, so..." he took a breath and took her face in his hands. He looked so sad. That was all Mina kept thinking. Just plain sad and defeated. She couldn't muster up a reply, so she waited for him continue to those terrible words. Those awful words she never wanted to hear.

"I can't... I can't do _this_ to you anymore. You are important to me, yes, but things are dangerous. I can't drag you into that... There cannot be an us anymore. I-I'm sorry." He trembled as he said it. It wasn't fair. He wasn't supposed to be upset about it! He was supposed to be ok with it and be a jerk so she could hate him easier!

The calm was a facade. She was numb for the moment and had to get him out of there before she lost control. She simply nodded and walked to the door. She felt nothing. Not the cold of her hand as she gripped it too tightly, nor the pain in her chest as she held her breath; not the warmth of the fires coming from the other rooms that drifted in. She just looked at Anders with empty eyes.

"Ok," she said. It was monotone and lifeless. Her voice was flat and dead. "Anders, I would like you to leave now. I'm tired and need to sleep. You... you need to go back to the clinic just in case someone needs you."

He walked over to her and gave her one last hug which she didn't return. He sighed and left her standing there, not yet broken, but not fully herself. She closed the door softly and went back to her bed. It was only then did she fall apart. She curled up on her bed, shaking with rage. That was all he had to say?! There was nothing more? Just the lame excuse that he wanted to protect her? From _what_?! Mina cried for hours, but that just made her angrier. She ended up putting on some makeshift boxing gloves she'd made and punching the stone wall of her room. It hurt like hell for the first twenty minutes but after that, she could hardly feel a thing. She was just _angry_. She was angry at herself for falling for him; she was angry at him for hurting her like he did; angry at the mages for taking him away, and angry at the world for making her stay there. She wanted to go back to Texas more than she ever had before. She wanted to go home. She could get on her feet. All she needed was to get a job at the library and save her money. She knew they'd let her work there. Or maybe she could join the military. She'd never shot a gun, but by all that she was, she'd learn how. She wanted anything to fill the emptiness she was trying to avoid. Something to keep her mind distracted. Hazy. As she punched the wall over and over, she let her mind wander to maybe becoming a Templar. That would piss Anders off. At least she'd be able to see Bethany more often. Not that she cared for Meredith much. Or many of the other Templars. There were a few she didn't mind. Like Thrask, Emeric, and... the Knight-Commander's second in command. Cullen, if she remembered right. He was decent enough. Maybe if Meredith was dealt with he'd be the head of the Templars in Kirkwall. She'd be willing enough then.

She finally felt the ache in her arms around the time she heard people starting to stir in the main room of the tavern. Another sleepless night. She hadn't had one of those in a while. Not since she'd talked to Varric. She felt the weariness not only in her arms, but in her leg that was still tender and weak. Another reminder of Anders. He'd saved her leg and they'd become even closer after that. She felt to the ground and sobbed, only there were no tears. She just let out pathetic whimpers.

It was Isabela, not Varric that found her this time. Izzy had taken one look at the blood splatters on the wall and knew what had happened. She herded the broken Elf into Varric's room and sent for a non-mage healer. In the meantime she gently and silently washed Mina's shredded hands. It almost went down to the bone. Varric paced behind them, not sure what to say. None of them were, really. It was not a situation they'd encountered before. Merril and Isabela hadn't broken up and no one else in their group was with another of their friends. It was strange knowing that they'd still talk with Anders after this. He was still their friend after all. Mina didn't feel like talking. Her throat was dry and scratchy from so much crying and silent screaming.

"Kitten, what exactly happened?" Isabela prompted. Mina shut her eyes tightly and shook her head. She didn't want to talk about it. She knew if she didn't, Isabela would forcefully get it out of Anders.

"He just... broke it off," she said, voice hoarse and rough like she hadn't had water in days. She was so thirsty. As if he read her mind, Varric walked over with a cup of water and handed it to her. She took a long drink, feeling it run into the cracks in her throat.

"Just like that?" Isabela asked, clearly pissed.

"Yeah. He just said he couldn't do 'this' anymore and I told him to leave," she explained boredly.

Varric sat in his usual spot at the head of his table, furiously cleaning Bianca. Everyone would know within a matter of hours. It would add to the awkwardness, which she didn't want. She had an idea to get away for a while.

"Varric, I haven't had any missions from you in a while. You must have something for me by now," she said, trying desperately to get him to send her away. He looked up and shook his head, apologetically.

"No, sorry Kitten. I don't have anything just yet. It's been unusually quiet. I might have something soon. One of my contacts in Markham said he'd have something for me soon. I might send you to meet him in Ostwick if I get a letter soon," he said, trying to give her something to hope for. She absently nodded and kept staring at the small fire that would soon be burning enough to warm the whole room. Isabela stood and hurried an older woman into the room. Mina assumed it was the healer that was sent for. She did her work rather quickly, assuring them that Mina's hands would heal within a week and to keep them clean.

Mina heard Isabela and Varric talking in the background, pointedly leaving her alone. They weren't quite sure what to do. But... Mina felt selfish. Her heartbreak wasn't anything compared to that of Garrett's. She didn't deserve to be treated so fragily. And, honestly she didn't want to be treated any different. She was a grown woman, almost twenty-one now, and she could take care of herself fairly well. Still, she couldn't quite push down her feeling of sorrow. She kept hoping that maybe it would go away and she could go back to angry. Or, if anything she could settle for empty. She could deal with emptiness. It was something she'd done before back when she was a little girl wailing about her parents leaving her. She was pissed and wanted to know why. One of the older girls at the shelter she'd gone to talked to her and helped her through it. She'd felt strangely hollow for a while, but she got over it. Since then it had become just a distant thought, and every once in a while a mild sore spot.

The point was, she hated hurting and feeling apathetic towards the subject was the way she coped with it. She wouldn't be grouchy or short tempered to anyone who asked. She'd simply give them an answer and move on. She turned to ask her friends to order her a drink when Garrett swaggered in the door. He didn't look like his old self, but he looked less broken. More like he was letting his mother's memory stay in his heart but letting her spirit rest easier. And by the frown on his face when he saw her, she figured Varric told him. How he'd managed to sneak a letter or send a messenger without Mina noticing, she didn't know. And that's why he was the spymaster, and not her.

Without warning, Hawke walked over to her and wrapped her in his strong arms. He maneuvered himself to where he was in the chair and she was cradled in his lap. Safe like a child. She hesitantly returned the embrace. He probably needed it as much as she did. Varric and Izzy kept talking, though they were obviously shocked at the display and watching happily. Mina ignored them and clung to her best friend for several long minutes.

He wasn't wearing his armor like he sometimes did when strolling through town. He was actually wearing regular clothing. His white shirt was soft on her face. She was purposely avoiding the part where it opened up to reveal his chest. It wasn't nearly as low as Varric's, but it gave anyone who looked at him a glimpse of his well muscled and slightly scarred chest. She sniffled and pulled away from him, taking a glimpse at what all he was wearing.

He looked at her with concern etched on his handsome face, "You alright, cutie?" He never gave up on that damned nickname.

She couldn't help but giggle at him, "You look like a pirate from one of the fairytales I was told when I was a child!" It was true. He was in dark brown leather pants and equally dark leather brown knee-high boots. He was certainly dashing. Her comment earned a look that said 'really?! you really just called me a pirate?' She felt a little better seeing his incredulous and playfully annoyed look.

The other two in the room laughed and excused themselves. Isabela was going to hustle some sorry bastards out of some coin and Varric had a Merchant's Guild meeting. The two still tangled in the chair waved goodbye.

"So... you and Anders..." Hawke said trying to be sensitive. She snorted and shook her head before leaning against his shoulder.

"What about us? There isn't an 'us' anymore if that's what you're referring to. That's all there is to it. No point in being sad. Life goes on," she paused and drew circles on the back of his hand, "... Are you ok? I mean you seem like you're doing a bit better."

His body stiffened a moment and he took a deep breath. No one could ever be fine after losing their mother. Especially in such a terrible way. She wished she could've been there to help him.

"I... I kept thinking that if I'd just pulled my head out of my own ass and payed attention to the signs... He'd sent the same white fucking lilies to the other women!" he sighed and leaned his head on hers, "I thought about it for a while and... she wouldn't want me to mope about as I have. She'd say 'Garrett, you need to stop feeling sorry for yourself and get back out there! You need to act like the champion you've been named!' And she'd be right." A sad, humorless smile danced on his lips. She wanted that smile to go away. She hated that smile. It was one that seemed helpless. One that screamed of pain and loss.

She ran her index finger down each of his and made a spiral on his now upturned palm. She wondered if there was a way to make his heartache lessened. She'd wondered about it time and time again and never came up with anything. Time was all he needed. Time and his friends. She decided to try to lighten the mood with sarcastic humor.

"I've heard that Orsino and Meredith almost made up before they began another spat. I'm expecting wedding bells before the month's end," she said with a smirk. That got him laughing. They both thought those two were the most ridiculous in the entire Free Marches. Not as ridiculous as Orlesian hats, but still pretty idiotic.

As if he read her thoughts, he said, "Whatever happened to that Orlesian cult of yours? I could go for a vacation right about now. And some cake."

"Yes, cake makes everything better!" she agreed, "We should go get some. I think I wanna walk around some today too." She hopped out of the Champions lap and looked at him. Of course he was pouting. He'd lost the woman who was warming his lap. Typical Hawke. She rolled her eyes and offered him a hand. "C'mon. Venhedis, Garrett, you're such a child!" He grabbed her hand and stood up, refusing to let it go.

"So I am. What about it?" he teased, pulling her through the tavern, "Off to get cake! I hope they have the kind with the little strawberries on top."


	9. Chapter 9

**A/N: **Ok, so I think the updates are going to slow down a bit. I'm working on another DA fanfic. It's... sillier than this one by far, but I still love it! I'll let you guys know when I post it. I'm sorry for this chapter... I couldn't really think of anything to do. It might seem off. Anyway, off into another exciting chapter with Mina and her shenanigans!

"Are you sure?" Hawke asked for the hundredth time. Mina nodded and pulled him towards the salon. She decided that she wanted to get her hair cut and it was apparently the biggest surprise in the world to Hawke. She was going to get a bob. She'd seen it back in the other world and she'd always thought about doing it if ever she could.

She bounced a little as the man that cut her hair swept the final loose hairs from around her neck. He was done, though he begged her not to cut such 'glorious hair'. Ironic how he loved her hair when he'd turned his nose up until he realized she was a friend of the Champion. Hawke had paced for the first few minutes, and decided to wait outside. They'd gone and got some cake from a little bakery in Lowtown. She'd seen an Elven woman with short hair which reminded her how much she wanted to cut her own. She'd discussed it with Hawke, who had opposed it but said it was her choice.

"And you are finished! It does look wonderful on you," the uppity man said. He sounded almost Orlesian. He must've lived in Kirkwall a while to lose his accent. No wonder he seemed snobbish. She jumped up and inspected his work. It was a shock, but a good one. It was feathery in the back, slightly spiked up. In the front, she now had bangs that swooped to the left. No doubt it'd drive her crazy, but at the moment it was perfect! Her hair was the epitome of liquid moonlight. She grinned ear to ear and spun around to face Hawke who had just re-entered the shop. He looked at her with wide eyes and broke into a smile.

"Looks good on you. I'm glad you didn't let me talk you out of it."

She put her arm through his and looked up at him, "Told you. I think I might've lost a bunch of weight after that!" She paid the snobby man, waiting for Garrett's snarky remark she knew was coming.

"You're so small I think I'll have to carry you home, lest you blow away in the wind!" he teased, bumping her with his shoulder. She rolled her eyes at him. Anything to try and make her blush. As they walked out into the streets of Hightown, they saw Fenris hurtling towards them with a snarl on his face. He was pissed.

"She's a slaver!" he hissed trying not to draw attention to their group. Mina and Garrett looked at each other and asked in unison, "Who's a slaver?"

They followed their Elf friend a few blocks back to his house and stayed cautiously distant as he threw things around the sitting room. He yelled a string of Tevinter curses before he turned to the two confused faces watching him.

"Ceras. She's a slaver," he growled, lyrium flaring, "I went to... talk to her; to maybe find out if she came from clan that you two share similar ancestors from, and _I saw her sneaking people into Darktown_."

Mina's face screwed up into disgust. There was no way. The woman looked as sweet as could be. "Maybe... maybe she was deceiving the slavers? Maybe she's helping the guard or something." Even as she said it, she knew it was a weak attempt to defend a woman she barely knew. Hawke raised an eyebrow at the Elf. He didn't believe Fenris would go to 'talk' on Mina's behalf. He clearly had different reasons to go see Mina's twin.

Fenris continued, "I followed her to see what she was up to. It was suspicious to say the least. And when she finally seemed to come to her destination, I saw a Tevinter mage, waiting with mercenaries. I know he was a slaver. I've seen him before! Somewhere..."

Hawke sighed and shook his head, "We'll need to figure out what's going on. We'll save those people."

"I've already told Aveline. Maybe she can catch that-!"

Mina ran forward and pushed her way through the mansion and out to the town. Fenris' last words were lost as she dashed to maybe salvage the situation. She didn't know why, but she felt that there had to be more to it than that. Maybe it was because they looked so much alike? No, that was a stupid reason. She wondered if it was a magic thing. Ceras didn't look like a mage.

She scoured Darktown and Lowtown both before she admitted she was too late. Aveline must've had guards mobilize immediately. If there was something Red hated, it was slavery. Crime she hated in general, but she abhorred the idea of slavery. Mina decided that she'd go to the barracks and ask to see Ceras. Everyone was allowed visitors until a certain time of day. She marched up to the Viscount's keep, noticing the looks she got from people milling about the pillars and the lobby. Nobles hated seeing Elves by themselves. She would never be someone's servant!

She looked around, not seeing the friendly face of Seamus, the late Viscount's son. He'd been killed by a pestilent Chantry Mother. _Pointless_. She pried her eyes off of the place he used to stand and watch people. She had no affection for him, but he had an open mind that was refreshing, and they'd shared many of pleasant conversations.

Timidly, she knocked on the Captain's door. She heard shuffling and Aveline was opening the door, looking more tired than usual.

"Mina, how can I help you?" she said, moving to let Mina in. She probably already knew why Mina was there, but Red didn't give anything away.

"I... have a small favor to ask," she began, getting a questioning look from the Guard Captain, "I would like to go see Ceras in her cell. Just to see why... what she was doing."

"You think there's more to it than meets the eye. I do too, but I have to do my duty. If you find anything out, tell me. It's important if she is to have a fair trial."

Mina winced. Meredith was the one who would be judging any trial, and she was not known for her mercy. She hoped that Ceras would shed some light on the situation and that she wasn't truly working with Tevinter slavers. Or any slavers for that matter.

She walked nervously down the stone stairs dimly light by sconces dotting the walls. The prison area looked uncared for and smelled rotten. It reeked of old food, decaying waste, and forgotten, unkempt people. A guard let her in upon recognizing her as a friend of the Captain's and she wound her way through the rows of cells. Most were empty, but there were a few that held someone. Most were men, but every once in a while, she saw a woman. She shivered as she saw madness in the eyes of many. Finally, she got to Ceras' cell. It was bigger than the others, and she was kept well away from the rest of the rabble.

Her snow-white head jerked up at the sound of feet. Mina crept close to the bars and stared for a moment.

"Well, are you going to say something, or just stare at me?" she asked. She was not wearing her nice clothes; far from it actually. She was wearing black scout armor that made her hard to see. Mina frowned at her harsh tone.

"I wanted to ask you if you really were working with slavers."

"Yes. Hence why I'm sitting in this smelly, dark place. It is a sorry excuse for a prison, I must say."

"...Why?" Mina squeaked out. For a moment, she didn't think Ceras heard her. That or she just wasn't going to answer. But, when Mina had almost given up, she heard Ceras' voice come through the darkness.

"I was looking for someone. She got captured and made a slave. I thought if I worked with them, I could find her and free her. I don't know why I thought it a good idea. I despise slavers."

Mina crouched down, thoughtful a moment. There had to be some way they could twist this to their advantage. Aveline didn't make it sound like she'd told Meredith about the incident yet. If she told Aveline that Ceras had been tricking the slavers to find someone she'd lost, Aveline would surely let her go.

"I have an idea! I'll be right back! By the way, who were you looking for?" she asked, curiously. It might not have an impact on anything, but Mina wanted to know.

Ceras stood up and approached the bars, barely making a sound. She had a small, but somewhat happy look on her face, "My mother." Mina smiled back at her and sped away, unaware that the other Elf was going to say more.

It took a few minutes, and some heavy persuading, but Aveline finally agreed to let Ceras go. She said she'd write up the report as 'Ceras was an essential witness' to tracking slavers in Kirkwall. Hawke and Isabela showed up only moments after Ceras was brought up. They looked out of breath and quite shocked to see Ceras.

"What...? What's going on exactly?" Garrett asked his eyes switching between the two women. Isabela looked at them and threw her hands in the air.

"Well, shit! There goes my escape plan! Last time I try to do something good." Aveline glared at her, ready to throw the pirate out. Red reigned in her temper and explained that Ceras was looking for her mother and that she hadn't sent a report to Meredith, thankfully. It would've been impossible to get out of otherwise.

Hawke smirked and shook his head, "Convenient, Guard Captain." Aveline had a ghost of a mischievous smile on her lips.

Ceras, who had been sitting on a chair, stood and looked at Mina, hesitantly.

"Mina, there's something... well, if I am right at least, there's something I must tell you," she said raising her head high. Everyone's eye turned to her in that moment. Mina tilted her head a bit, waiting eagerly for Ceras to speak.

"My mother's name is Lani... She once told me that I had a sibling. I had thought that my sibling was a slave somewhere, but I may have been wrong. I think you're my sister."

Mina's eyes widened. There was no way that was true. They looked alike, sure, but that happened all the time right? People confused others for a certain person all the time back in the other world. Mina took a moment to gather her thoughts before she replied.

"Ceras... I doubt I'm your sister. However, I still want to help you find your mother. And, maybe she can help us find your sibling." She added a smile at the end of her words to make sure Ceras knew Mina didn't think her stupid or that she was being insulted.

Even so, a look of disappointment crossed the Elf woman's face. Mina knew that anyone would want to believe they'd found their family, but Mina just didn't want to get her hopes up. She'd been alone for as long as she could remember, and it was nothing to keep it that way. Ceras seemed to be outwardly ok with being alone too, as far as Mina could tell, but there was something desperate underneath. Maybe it was just Mina's imagination. Everyone seemed to be in a quiet cocoon of surprise still.

"Well, this will make for a great story," said a smooth baritone voice. Varric had appeared out of nowhere. "Of course, I'll have to make it more exciting... like Ceras saved Kitten from a dragon or something."

"Oh no you don't, Dwarf!" both women said at the same time, earning a fit of laughter from everyone present.

"No promises," he answered with a wink, "Let's go back to the Hanged Man. Drinks on me, and we will get you both drunk."

They groaned, again at the same time, eliciting even more laughs. Isabela said she was going to go get Merril, and sauntered out, followed by Varric.

Mina turned to Aveline, a question in her eyes. "I can't figure one thing out, Aveline."

"And what's that?" the redhead asked, already back to her paperwork.

"Why did you let Ceras go just like that?"

Aveline looked up a moment and smiled at the three still in the room. She had the same look in her eyes that Hawke usually had before he did something incredibly stupid. Her answer deflected Mina's suspicions.

"I felt that there was a great deal of good in Ceras. I had, and still have, every reason to lock her up, but I like to believe that she'll not get up to too much trouble anymore. I've not given up on Hawke yet either, and he's _much harder _to deal with."

The Champion shot her a glare but quickly returned his attention to the two Elves in front of him. Mina saw him eyeing Ceras and sighed. She didn't want to put up with his flirting. She was not in the mood, plus it irritated her that he jumped at every chance to try to seduce a woman.

They had been playing Wicked Grace for a good two hours and Mina wasn't doing nearly as bad as she usually did. It might've been due to the fact that she was only sipping on her drink where everyone else seemed to be chugging the shit that passed for a drink. She was missing her boots and her coat. Isabela was missing her bandana, because she cheated and they all knew it. Even when she was tipsy, which she was. Varric was missing his duster and a boot. He was just good at cards and bullshitting. He'd had a few mugs of ale, but was relatively sober. Ceras was missing her shoes and both of her wrist braces. She looked like she'd downed several glasses, but you couldn't tell from the way she held herself. She seemed pretty clear headed as well.

Fenris was sitting as far away from her as he could get. He refused to forgive her for working with the slavers. He'd gotten over his initial anger, and agreed to play cards with them, thanks to Mina and Varric persuading him. It was mostly Varric threatening to tell completely made up, but embarrassing stories about him and Mina giving him her best puppy eyes and pouting. He was missing his gauntlets, leg guards, and his chest plate. He was flushed from the wine he'd brought, plus a mix of drinks from the bar. He'd be completely drunk before too much longer. Mina smirked at her adopted brother. He was absolutely hilarious when he was shitfaced. He'd gotten up and danced on the table with Izzy one night. He completely refused to believe he'd done that. Mina looked around at each of them and almost had an inner panic attack.

Anders was not there. Mina was grateful for that, but she'd never say it aloud. He'd crossed her mind and flustered her for a moment, but she refocused on her friends.

Merril was... very drunk for one, and missing all but her underclothes and her undershirt. Isabela was purposely targeting her, of course. The winner of the round got to pick someone to remove a piece of clothing.

Mina shook her head and looked at Garrett... who was removing his shirt. Varric had won and picked the dark haired man who sat right between Mina and Ceras. He'd insisted of course. He was not quite drunk, but he'd had enough alcohol to be insufferably bold and... much as Mina hated to admit it, _sexy_. The half smile she so loved was plastered on his face. His cheeks were red and he had a glimmer in his eyes that made Mina shiver. He'd 'accidentally' slide a hand on her or Ceras' leg and get a good smack for it or a punch in the arm. He'd laugh at them and apologize. He'd not gotten any more feel-y than that. The night was young and there was still plenty of liquor to drink.

Fenris was the dealer and was shuffling, grumbling that he would catch Isabela eventually. Garrett took that moment to wrap an arm around Ceras, his bare skin brushing against her arm. Ceras flushed and looked at him horrified.

"Tonight's a good night! Know why? Because I'm sitting by a beautiful woman. You know, Ceras... you've got lovely eyes," he purred.

Mina's eye twitched. The idiot was going to get himself in trouble_. 'I swear if he makes one more pass at her, I'm going to punch him in the fucking face!'_

She saw Fenris' gaze land on her. He had just the smallest hint of a smile on his lips. She glared at him. He knew she was jealous. She hated that he knew just by looking at her even when he was drunk; and she hoped no one else could tell just how much she was bothered by his flirting.

Hawke continued with his drunken idiocy and gently took Ceras' chin in his hand gently. _'You motherfu-!' _she screamed in her head right as she decked him square in the jaw. Ceras had somewhat of the same idea and smacked him as she pulled away. They both tackled him to the ground, his head smacking on the stone floor. He groaned and looked up at the two women blazing with fury and ready to kill him.

"You are _sorely_ mistaken, messere Hawke, if you think me some pretty little damsel that will fall for your false charm! If you intend to try that again, I'll knock your sorry ass into next week," Ceras snapped. Her eyes were a flurry of anger and alarm. She looked at Mina who nodded in agreement.

"Don't lay a hand on her again, you son of a bitch," Mina snarled at him. Ceras and Mina helped each other up and looked at the bewildered man on the ground.

With a wicked smile, Ceras added, "Tough luck, puddin'." Mina looked at her astonished. That was something she remembered her mother saying. One of the few things she did remember about her mother. A memory played in her head of way back then.

_Mina was crying on the swing of a playground, maybe five years old. Her mom walked up to her and asked what was wrong. Her voice was lost, for Mina didn't know what it sounded like. Mina sniffled and looked up at the face she could hardly remember, "I wanted to play with the other kids... they wouldn't let me." Her mom picked her up and wiped her tears away. "Tough luck, puddin'," she said not unkindly, "Not everyone is nice, and sometimes you have to deal with mean people. Don't let that get you down. You're strong, my little 're my little flower." Mina smiled then and hugged her mom tightly. Her mom continued, "If anyone gives you trouble, you just smile and tell them, 'tough luck puddin'."_

Mina hastily grabbed her belongings and rushed to the door, "I... I'm tired. You guys have fun without me." She tried her best to give a convincing smile and went to her room. The others stared after her, bewildered by what had happened. She heard Hawke call after her, "Mina, I'm sorry! Come back... please?" Mina slammed her door and shut her eyes tight. Her mind was racing. Why didn't she remember her mother? Why didn't she remember hardly _anything_?! The sooner they found Ceras' mother, the better. Maybe, just maybe, Ceras had been right. She slid into her night clothes, a plain green cotton shirt that was too long for her. It went down to her knees and felt incredibly comfortable after the long day. She crawled into bed and pulled the blankets up to her chin, hoping she could fall asleep easily. But, she didn't. She kept tossing and turning.

She didn't realise she'd fallen asleep until she felt someone carefully climb into her bed and wrap their arms around her. She flailed and was ready to defend herself, until she heard his voice.

"Hey, calm down. I didn't mean to scare you... I hoped you weren't asleep." It was Garrett. He was still just in his pants like he'd been when they were playing cards. She scowled at him, about to shoo him out of her room, but he kept talking.

"I'm sorry about Ceras. I was just playing around," his voice was so gentle as were his eyes, "I promise I won't mess with her again. Please... please don't run away again." He looked almost broken again. Like he did when he'd lost Leandra. Mina couldn't get herself to make him leave, so she snuggled into his chest. She wanted to push him away and tell him to leave. She didn't want to get attached to him just to be hurt again.

"Garrett..." she whispered, unable to find words to say. He rubbed her back gently as he held her, not trying to feel her up or be the jerk he'd been earlier.

"It sounded like you were having a nightmare. I had to check on you, cutie," he said with a soft smile. She felt herself blushing and was thankful that it was dark.

"Hm... I have nightmares all the time," she deflected, "I really am tired though."

He frowned and nodded, moving to get out of the bed. Against what her mind was screaming at her, she clung to him and buried her face into his bare chest. He froze.

"Garrett, don't go." she whispered.

He relaxed into her bed and started to run his fingers through her short hair. That coupled with his steady heartbeat lulled her back into a hazy sleep within minutes. She swore she heard him whisper something as she drifted off.

"I'll always protect you... I'll stay as long as you need me, love."


	10. Chapter 10

**A/N:** I couldn't help myself last chapter! I love Hawke's cute side. It's one of my head cannons. So, like I promised, I'm letting you guys know that my new DA fanfic is up. I't called Dragon Age High School. Not for those who like 'serious' stuff. Just sayin. Enjoy the chapter~

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><p>Mina woke up that night, more comfortable than she'd been in ages. More rested, but she'd only been asleep for a few hours. She stretched and looked over at the sleeping man beside her. His face was peaceful and he was snoring barely. It was adorable. She smiled to herself and tried to slip out of bed without waking him up. But, of course, she failed. She felt his arm around her waist before her feet hit the floor.<p>

"Where do you think you're going?" he asked. His sleepy voice was slightly deeper than his regular voice and it made Mina's stomach flutter. She shoved it down and told herself that it wasn't right when she'd just lost Anders.

"I got an assignment from Varric earlier today." she said honestly. She didn't want to leave just yet or tell anyone because she knew they'd all worry. She was going to check up on one of Varric's leads about mages stirring up trouble. Apparently they'd been threatening a Dalish clan for some reason. Hawke frowned and pulled her back into his arms, much to her delight.

"Do you have to go right now?" he pouted, "Can't you stay for just a little longer?"

She hesitated a moment, but ended up giving in, "I suppose there's no harm and leaving a little later."

He grinned and kissed her nose. Her heart pounded in her chest. It wasn't like he'd kissed her lips, but they slept in the same bed- _only them_- and they'd been cuddling. She denied that she wanted it, especially as bad as she did. She swore to herself that she'd loved Anders, but she knew in her heart she was wrong. She was far from loving Garrett, but she refused to admit that she still had strong feelings for him.

"Stop that!" she said with a blush as he kissed her face over and over. This time he saw her blush and laughed at her. He pushed her bangs out of her eyes and stared at her, smiling. Her breath caught in her throat at the look in his eyes. It was as if he thought she was the most beautiful woman in the world and that she was all that mattered in that moment. She was suddenly bashful and buried her face in his still bare chest. He let her and began running his fingers through her hair and humming. She liked the tune. It was dark sounding but grew hopeful, and his voice complemented it nicely. She didn't know he had such a nice voice.

'_He should sing or hum more_,' she thought absently. Her mind was distracted by his voice, and she didn't realize it until he paused. She also realized that she'd been pressing light kisses against his chest. She screamed at him in her mind, pleading that he didn't notice.

"Mina... are you kissing my chest?" He seemed surprised, but pleased.

'_Maker's hairy fucking balls!_' she cursed in her head.

"O-of course not!" she tried to play it off. He tilted her head up by her chin so she was looking at him. He didn't buy it; not one bit. Her face was aflame from her neck all the way to the tips of her ears.

"You're a bad liar. I could feel it. Why'd you stop?" His gaze was almost too much for her. She felt like she was going to melt from how embarrassed she was at that moment.

Her mouth betrayed her. "Because I didn't want you to know..." she muttered sourly.

His eyes filled with wonder and his face contorted with confusion. She wished she was anywhere in the world but there at that moment.

"Garrett, I'm sorry, I didn't mean to-" she began, trying to wash away the awkwardness she felt.

He crushed his lips against her's and held her tightly in his arms. She was surprised at first, but her surprise quickly dissipated and longling drowned it out. She kissed him back, feeling all of her loneliness and her doubt fall away. She felt her body press up against his, and him welcoming her by sitting up and pulling her into his lap. She found she loved how his beard tickled her cheeks, she loved how soft his lips were, and she loved how rough his hands felt against her back. She hadn't even noticed that he'd slid his hands under her shirt. She didn't really mind as long as they stayed on her back.

She pulled away to take a breath and look at his handsome face. She grinned sheepishly at him and started to turn away. He didn't like that. He kissed her and pushed her backwards onto the bed, holding her hands above her head. His fingers twined themselves with hers. She couldn't help herself and wrapped her legs around his waist. It was a perfect moment, exchanging kisses and laughing at each other. And then they heard someone clearing their throat.

They both jumped and untangled from each other, but it was too late. Anders stood in Mina's doorway along with Varric. The look of anguish on the mage's face pissed Mina off. She didn't even care about the evil grin on Varric's face. She crossed her arms and glared at the man who'd left her.

"You know, this is my room. It'd be nice if someone knocked every once in a while," she said to both of them.

Anders looked down. '_At least he has the decency to feel ashamed. Arsehole._' But her thought came too soon.

"I came to check on you, but it seems you've found yourself better _company_," he snapped.

She snarled and flung herself at him. He had no right to say that! He was the one that had broken it off with her! He hurt her and had no right to be hurt. Maybe she shouldn't have kissed Garrett so soon afterwards, but she didn't give a shit. Her short temper got the best of her. She punched Anders in the chest and smacked him.

She didn't expect him to retaliate...

Mina felt cold wash through her body in an instant. It was hard to breathe; it was impossible to move. The look on his face was horrified. She looked down to her stomach to see a huge shard of ice sticking out of her.

And then she was falling. Garrett was shouting as was Varric, but she couldn't hear them. She was cold again. It felt like when she should've died.

"Anders..." she whispered, "I-I'm sorry." His face was close to hers and he was crying. She felt bad about hitting him. It was her fault he was sad. She may have been mad at him for dumping her, but she didn't want him to cry. She smiled at him to try to reassure him, then everything was black.

_Her wolf was in front of her again. He was laying next to a river surrounded by a thick fog. Mina recognized it as the same place she'd seen when she'd touched the mirror. She smiled at the wolf and walked towards it, feeling no malice from it. It simply raised its head and sniffed her direction. She held out her hand to it, making sure it knew she meant no harm. She could swear she could see it smirking at her._

_She knew it had to be the Dread Wolf she'd heard about from Merrill and her Marethari. And yet, she didn't feel that he was a danger to her. He didn't seem to be trying to seduce her or trick her. Maybe they'd been wrong._

_"You're the Dread Wolf, Fen'Harel," she said boldly to the enormous beast. It looked at her, its six eyes unblinking. She didn't expect him to respond._

_"Indeed I am. You share the blood of my people, Da'assan. You are brave to seek me out time and again," he said softly. His voice was like two people whispering together._

_She furrowed her brows. How'd he know to call her Da'assan like Fenris did? What's more, she hadn't tried to find him at all. He'd just appeared in her dreams. And she had no idea what he meant about her being brave. He wasn't scary. It was as if he'd read her mind._

_He laughed, "I can see a few of your memories. You are comfortable with being called Da'assan. And, I know you did not intend to come find me consciously, but your inner mind is curious about me. Ma emma harel."_

_He spoke in perfect Elven, but she still understood him. 'You should fear me' he'd said. She snorted at his comment and started petting his head in defiance._

_"I will not fear you. You are not that scary. If you can read my memories, you can see that I'm not from this world. And, I'm not one of your people. I have nothing to fear from you, trickster," she sassed back at him._

_That drew deep laughter from him. He flicked his tail gently at her and shook his head._

_"There is something of me in your spirit, Da'assan. I am not a trickster, I am the God of Rebellion more than anything, and you are rebellious. History is not always right. But, I shall not tell you how," he paused and looked at Mina a long moment, "You are indeed of my kin's blood. You just do not know it yet. I feel you will find it soon."_

_A raven cawed from a tree Mina hadn't noticed was there. She looked at it with suspicion. There were no creatures there last time besides Fen'Harel and... and that man. The wolf growled softly at the raven. Mina looked closer at it and saw that it was not black, but white. It was crawling with shadows like Fen'Harel had been when she saw him approach her the first time. She took a step towards it, but Fen'Harel's growl intensified._

_"No! Do not get near him, Da'assan. Dirthamen is not welcome here and he would do you more harm than I," he snapped._

_"Gelsomina, wake up, child. You need to wake up now. Falon'Din comes for you if you do not wake up," the Raven's deep calm voice cawed at her._

_Mina took a step back and reached for her bow, which was not there. Fen'Harel stopped snarling and tilted his head with curiosity. Mina didn't like the stupid bird. He felt wrong. Like he was keeping ominous secrets from the world. It was as if one whisper from him could destroy the world._

_"He is right. I can feel the spirit of Falon'Din gathering strength. You need to get out of here, Da'assan," the wolf conceded._

_Mina looked at them both, almost panicking, "I didn't even know I was dreaming! How am I supposed to get out?!"_

_Fen'Harel put his forehead against hers, "Where did you think you were? This is the Fade. You can shape your dreams. Think of a door. That would be the easiest way for you, I think."_

_She did as he said and, sure enough the door to her room appeared before her eyes. She looked back at the raven, intently watching her. He did help her, but she still didn't like how weird he felt._

_"Thank you, Fen'Harel. I will see you again, I'm sure. And... thank you Dirthamen. I know Falon'Din is your brother," she said quietly. The raven fluffed his feathers and flew off. The wolf-god bowed his head to her._

_"I am sure I will see you again. Guard your mind, Da'assan."_

Mina woke up to searing pain. Immediately she began to scream. She had to quit doing this! It was the second time magic had hurt her. She was beginning to hate it. She gritted her teeth and fought against whoever was holding her down. She swore if it was Anders, she was going to kill him! She stopped screaming and fought to control her breathing. The white spots in her vision cleared and she saw Garrett above her, holding her arms. She looked down at her abdomen to see a white haired Elf pouring some liquid over the disgusting hole in her stomach. It was just below her breasts and right above her belly button. It wasn't as big as she'd thought it would be, but she should've been dead for a second time. Or maybe a third.

The more pressing question was, who was this Elf? She'd never seen him among Merrill's clan. She filed the thought away and drug her eyes back to Garrett's face. She was fighting the pain with every breath and seeing him took the edge off of it. She wouldn't let herself pass out from pain again.

"Mina," Hawke breathed, "Please, stop struggling. He's stitched you up mostly, and now he's pouring a healing poultice on the wound."

She grimaced as another wave of pain hit her. "GARRETT!" she screamed as she kicked, "MAKE IT STOP!"

She felt two more pairs of hands holding down her legs. She looked to see Isabela holding her left leg and Varric holding her right leg. The stranger looked at her then, a mix of sadness and frustration in his eyes.

"Please, try not to squirm. I need to get this closed or you'll bleed to death," he said calmly.

She took a deep shuddering breath. She swore he sounded just like the raven in her dream. Maybe she'd heard his voice and substituted it in because she had started to come to. What was more shocking was that his eyes were an eerie red-brown. Just like hers. Maybe it was common where she was, but she'd never seen anyone in Kirkwall or in the Sabrae clan with her same eyes.

"W-what's your name?" she asked him as he pulled another bottle out and uncorked it. He didn't look up at her or stop working. For a moment, Mina didn't think he was going to answer.

"I am called Thalion. I am of Clan Lavellan, as are you," he said casually.

Mina was going to question him further, but another wave of pain rode through her body and she screamed again. She let loose a string of mixed Tevinter and Elvish curses she'd picked up and tensed up.

Mina groaned as she saw Thalion reach for what she assumed was another bottle, but instead he produced a roll of cotton cloth and began to wrap her torso with help from Hawke, Isabela, and Varric. Mina ground her teeth together as they lifted her up. It hurt to move, it hurt to breath, and it hurt even more when they sat her down once more. She looked around her room and didn't see Anders anywhere. The bastard must've ran off. She scowled at nothing in particular.

"Anders ran off. He couldn't stand to see what he'd done to you," Varric said hollowly. He knew she was looking around for him. She was sorry that she made him cry, but now that she was fully aware, she was pissed at him even more. He'd lost control of Justice like he promised he'd never do around her. Bitterly she thought about the promise he'd made to her about never letting her go. He'd broken that one as well.

"Thanks guys. I'm glad you're all here," she said to her friends with a weak smile, "By the way... where's everyone else?"

Isabela sighed, "Fenris is helping Ceras with something to do with slavers. Personally, I think they snuck off to fu-"

"_Isabela,_" Hawke snapped.

"Fine, sorry. Merrill is sitting in Varric's room. She got queasy when she saw you."

Thalion laughed humorlessly, "She would've gotten in the way anyways."

Mina frowned and turned to the man, "Don't insult my friend like that. You don't even know her."

He bowed his head and stood up, looking around uncomfortably. Mina leaned back on her pillows, watching him.

"Izzy, Varric, would you two mind going to see Merrill, I want to talk to Thalion," she asked tiredly. She'd had a full night's sleep and because of this she was drained. Stupid magic.

Hawke raised his eyebrows and knelt down beside her, "You want me to stay?" She nodded and watched her other two friends leave. She felt safer with Garrett, and now Thalion was less likely to get stabbed or shot if he said something.

"First thing's first, how did you know I needed help?" she asked.

Hesat down in a chair a few feet from her bed, "Your Dwarf sent for me. I was to be your guide to Ostwick and on to my clan."

Mina nodded and proceeded with her questioning, "Ok, makes sense. He told me about the mages bothering your clan. Earlier you said that I was part of your clan. What did you mean?"

Thalion's brows knitted together as he thought about what to say. Mina was too tired to demand an answer. Sensing her frustration, Hawke started to rub her arm to sooth her. He kissed her head and remained silent.

Thalion shot a glare at Hawke when he kissed Mina, but he didn't say anything. Mina sighed and asked again, "How am I part of your clan? I'm not even from here. I've never been to Ostwick! Or wherever your clan roams."

Hawke looked at her curiously but she ignored him. Finally Thalion answered her.

"I know you are part of my clan. I know you. I haven't seen you since you were born, but a father knows his daughter. And I have been looking for you, your sister, and your mother."


	11. Chapter 11

**A/N:** Bada-boom! And there it is. Mina's dad is an Elf. Hope you guys liked the last chapter. Thank you everyone for the support and reading my story. I appreciate it and I'm happy at the response my stats are showing. I'll try to keep it up! Anyone want another romance scene with Hawke and Mina? Let me know. Here's to another good chapter~

Thalion looked at Mina amused as he watched her process what he'd just told her. She didn't know how much he'd missed them. He didn't even have a chance to know his youngest daughter. Mina's face went from disbelief, to anger, to sadness, and back to disbelief.

She looked at Hawke stunned and back to Thalion. For most of her life she'd been alone. She never dreamed that she'd find her actual family. She'd made her own family from those around her. She never liked the movie 'Annie' because she'd thought that it was bullshit. This was plain... dumbfounding! She was skeptical, and narrowed her eyes at the snowy-haired Elf. His hair was long and pulled back into a ponytail with a braid through it. It was the exact color of Ceras'.

"When's my birthday?" she asked, scared to believe him.

"In three day's time. In your world, May 18. I'm not sure what year it is there, but you will be 21," he said without a pause.

Hawke looked at them both confused, "_Her world_? That doesn't make sense."

Thalion smirked the way Mina did when she did or said something devious, "That's because shortly after she was born to my clan and my wife, we had to take her to another world. It was the world Lani was from... She called it 'Earth'. She was from a place called Texas and we had to use very old magic to do so."

Hawke's eyes widened as he looked at Mina for the truth.

She shrugged, "I don't know about the part about the magic, but I am from Texas. It is in another world. Varric knows. I'm surprised he didn't tell you."

Hawke shook his head and rested it in his hands. "That's _impossible_! But... magic is weird, and you do talk funny."

Mina giggled and pushed Garrett's leg gently. She noticed the sour look Thalion gave them. She smirked. It seemed like her 'father' didn't like The Champion of Kirkwall being so close to his daughter.

"I might believe you, Thalion. What's my full name? And what are my sister and mom's names?" she asked more out of curiosity than anything. If she could come to believe that she really did get dropped into the Dragon Age world and wasn't crazy or dead, she could believe that this man might possibly be her father despite how ridiculous and outlandish it might be. The odds of it were... pretty much non-existent.

"Easy enough. Gelsomina Marietta Lavellan. Your mother named you based on her heritage. She said she was... Italian or something like that," he paused and smiled ruefully, "She said it meant 'Jasmine and Little Rebel'. She quite liked the stories of our Dread Wolf. But, your sister she called Ceras. And your mother's name was Lani. Well, Melania, but we all called her Lani."

Mina's eyes teared up and she shook her head once more, "Ceras was right! I can't fucking believe it. How...? Why did I have to go?"

Thalion's eyes lit up, "You found Ceras?! Where is she?"

Mina wiped a tear from her eye, "I'm not sure. She said she was looking for mom, but..."

Thalion sat beside Mina and held her gently, trying to avoid hurting her. It still hurt to move, but Mina didn't complain. The poultice worked wonders.

Garrett stood and coughed, "Excuse me. I think you two should be alone for a while. If you need me, Mina, I'll be with Varric. I'll let him know what's happened."

Mina nodded gratefully at him and smiled. She didn't know what to say to her friends. She didn't know what to say to Thalion either. When Hawke left, Thalion answered Mina's questions.

"It took a lot to save you. I kept Ceras while your mother took you. It... it was hard. I ended up having to send Ceras away. But, we were being hunted by someone that was dear to me a long time ago," he smiled bitterly but continued, "He was angry that I'd found your mother and fell in love. I'm not sure what happened to your mother. I know only that I felt her come back to this world 14 years ago. I swear I'll find her. And, Mina, I am sorry you were left alone... I'm sorry we couldn't stay together. It's all my fault."

Mina put her hand on his back and frowned. She didn't blame her parents at all. Not anymore. she used to, but she figured there had to be some reason they'd left her. She'd thought that maybe they'd died. They sat in silence for a while. It was strange to them both to have family again. Mina thought that 'dad' felt foreign on her tongue. It was better than calling him 'father'. That was insufferably formal. If she was ever to get used to it, she'd definitely call him dad. She sat up a little more, grimacing at the pull in her muscles and the stitches.

"Am I still going to the clan to help out?" she asked with worry laced on her face.

Thalion smiled and nodded, "Of course you are. Varric still needs you to do his work there, and I have much to teach you. I'm not going to leave you just when I've found you."

"But what about my wound?"

"By the time we reach the clan, it'll have healed enough that it won't be too much of a bother to you. In time It'll be naught but a memory. You'll have a terrible scar though..." He frowned, sad to have his daughter be marred by anything.

The Elf woman put a hand over the cotton bandages, "I've got a few other scars. It's nothing. It shows that I'm tough! Nothing can ruin me, because I'm still me."

He laughed and agreed with her.

"I do have a question for you. It has been bothering me... This Champion of yours... What's going on there?" he asked suspiciously.

The way he so easily sounded like the dad she'd imagined made her giggle. It had to be a universal dad thing. The movies she'd seen and some of the men she'd seen with their own little girls acted the same way for the most part. It made her feel warm and a little piece of her wasn't missing anymore.

"Oh, dad! Nothing, really. We're just close. I mean, I do have feelings for him, and I know he has feelings for me. But, I just went through a rough break up. A couple days ago actually..." she frowned at the thought of Anders.

"I understand he's the one that did this to you. Varric has a big mouth," he said. He was so easy for her to talk to. It was automatic.

"Yeah... It's complicated. He's got this spirit... Justice, but it's not Justice anymore. It's scary, and I thought maybe he would be ok. Maybe he could control it. Anders was my friend..."

They spent a few hours just talking about different things and trying to learn everything they could about each other. It was a nice, easy thing. It wasn't awkward or forced like how Mina felt most of the time when she met new people. Eventually Varric forced them to join everyone- excluding Anders, Fenris, and Ceras- in his suite. They ate and played cards, as per their norm. Thankfully, they weren't playing strip Wicked Grace. Mina was happily surprised to see that Aveline had taken the rest of the day off to see her. The redhead hadn't been around much lately. She was busy with the surge of bandits and 'blood mage' reports. She looked tired, but happy. Mina assumed that things were going well with her and Donnic. She teased Aveline about getting a marriage proposal within the month. Aveline was mortified and denied that it would happen any time soon.

It was nice to be able to still have a normal day with her friends despite the condition she was in. She just felt awkward that she couldn't wear a shirt just yet. Thankfully, the bandages covered everything. She doubted Thalion would let anyone see her otherwise.

He proved to be talented at Wicked Grace and ended up winning most games, and gained Isabela's respect. She hated losing, but she wasn't a sore loser. One of her _finer_ qualities.

Eventually, Thalion ended up taking all the money they'd put on the table. It had gone back and forth between him and Isabela for a good while. The last round saw Hawke make a good comeback, but Mina's dad beat him just barely. They'd all decided they'd lost enough money for one day and settled in to listen to Varric spin a new tale. It was about the Queen of Antiva that day.

Hawke sat with Mina on his lap, and an irritated Thalion watched them from the corner of his eye.

Garrett was hardly interested in listening to the Dwarf. He laid his head on Mina's shoulder and whispered to her, "Since I lost, do I get a consolation kiss?" He was back to his flirty self, but Mina noticed that he hadn't given any female passerby a second look, or a long glance for that matter. She was actually amazed by him. He was on his best behavior.

"Hmmm... I suppose, but not while Thalion is looking. I have a feeling my old man won't hesitate to put an arrow in your head," she said half joking. She felt guilty about flirting with him because of Anders.

He resigned himself to wait, but kept whispering to her. "Are you still leaving?"

"Yes. You know I have to."

"When?"

"I don't know. Later tonight, or maybe early tomorrow."

He held her in his lap and fell into a pouty silence. She knew he didn't want her to go, but he wouldn't be able to take her with him when he went out to solve everyone's problems. She rarely went with him when she _wasn't_ hurt. But, as fate had it, they weren't to leave for a while. Thalion told her that she had to heal up more before they even attempted such a long journey. He eyed Hawke wearily as the Champion cheered and hugged Mina tightly. She was happy too, but she was curious to see the place she was supposed to have grown up.

She turned when she heard someone coming into Varric's room. It was Ceras, who looked rather tired. Mina jumped from Hawke's lap and ran to her sister. The wound on her stomach quickly slowed her pace. Behind her, Thalion stilled and stared at his oldest daughter anxiously.

"Ceras! Good to see you. You've been gone for a while. I've got something exciting to tell you!" she chattered happily. Ceras smiled at her, graceful as ever, and looked over her shoulder at everyone. Her eyes stopped on Thalion and narrowed.

"-So, it turns out, we're sisters after all!" Mina finished, unaware Ceras wasn't listening.

"Mina, what's that man doing here?" she asked in a deadly low voice. Mina looked at Thalion and then back at Ceras.

"It's ok, Ceras. He's our father. He helped me!" she said, sddenly aware she said suddenly aware that her sister didn't know what Anders had donw.

Ceras' eyes flitted down to Mina's bandaged torso for a second and went back to the Elven man. Her face contorted in anger at the very sight of him. Mina didn't understand why. They were together! Something Mina had thought impossible. Something she'd never thought would happen even if she'd tried to look for them in the first place. Thalion slowly stood from his chair and put his hands out as a peace offering.

Ceras scoffed, "At long last he does something good for his family. It's not like he's done anything else since we were born."

"Ceras, please... I've been trying to find you. I had to make sure you were all safe," defended Thalion.

"You have no right to speak to me! You abandoned Mina and I! You and mother. But, she did it because you commanded she do so," Ceras yelled at him.

Mina backed away and went to sit on Hawke's lap again. She wanted to jump in and calm things down, but she felt that they needed this. Plus, she wanted more information before she decided what she would say. Sensing things were going to get uglier, Isabela excused herself and Merrill and awkwardly left the room. Varric shared an uneasy glance with Hawke and got Bianca ready. Aveline tensed, always ready to diffuse a situation. 'You never know what'll happen with an angry Elf' Varric used to say. Still did.

Thalion looked down a moment and returned a fiery gaze upon Ceras, "Everything I did, I did for my family. If you would've stayed, you would have been killed!"

Ceras would have none of it. She crossed over to him and got in his face, seething with rage. "You abandoned Mina. And me. And mother let it happen. You are no father to me. You are no father at all!" she snapped.

She turned to Mina then, looking at her sister with slightly teary eyes. Mina stood and put a hand on Ceras' shoulder.

"Mina, don't trust this man. He will leave you alone once more. You'll have nothing and he'll be to blame," she said softly. Thalion sighed, resigned and left the room. Mina could hear Varric and Hawke sigh with relief.

"Ceras, I'm sorry. I didn't know you were that upset," Mina apologized.

Ceras smiled weakly, "Tis not your fault. You didn't know my anger. However! I do need your help with something, dear little sister."

Mina smiled with delight. She liked the thought of having a sister; of having a sibling she didn't just decide was hers. She adored fenris and Varric, but it wasn't the same. The two women walked out of the tavern into the cool night air. It was relatively quiet; hardly anyone roaming about. Mina took a deep breath and looked around.

Much to her surprise, she saw a _huge_ black wolf walking towards them. At first, she thought it was her wolf, Fen'Harel, but it was much smaller than him, and didn't have the eyes.

"Ceras, watch out! There's a friggin wolf coming this way!" she cried.

Ceras laughed and patted her leg. The wolf trotted up to her and sat beside her obediently.

"I know. He's my faithful companion. And... that's what I wanted to ask you about," she confessed.

Mina looked at her with curiosity then studied the beautiful, albeit terrifying creature.

"I'm going to be away for a little while. No more than a week. But, I need you to look after him. I figured since we look so much alike, he wouldn't mind staying with you. He doesn't like anyone else," her sister explained. Mina looked at her pensively a moment. it would be something to keep her occupied until she could go and actually do something. It's not like she had a list of things to do. Even if she did, her stomach would definitely keep her from it. '_And maybe he'll help me track down that damned Anders_,' she thought angrily. She'd scare him a bit and get revenge for almost killing her. She'd think of something; her guilt about Hawke wouldn't get the better of her.

"Alright. It seems rather important, since you brought me out here instead of asking in front of the guys, and Red. So, I'll do it! But, I need to know what to call him."

Ceras laughed and nodded in agreement, "His name is Keter."

They sat in silence for a moment and watched a guard patrol go by. A stray cat wandered by, but ran off when it saw Ceras' wolf. Another night in Kirkwall. There was sure to be a gang or two trying to take over the city or praying on those who were still out and about. Ceras took a deep breath and broke the silence.

"So... I talked to Hawke last night," she started shyly.

Mina looked at her, a blush creeping up to her cheeks, "Oh?"

"Mmhm. I told him that he'd better stop acting like an ass. I see the way you two look at each other. It's obvious to anyone around you, but not to each other."

"We don't have a special 'look'." Mina pouted a little. Ceras rolled her eyes.

"You so, do. Anyway, I told him that if he hurt you, I'd drag him to the void personally and kill him myself. _Slowly_."

Mina busted out laughing. She was sure that was why he'd been keeping his eyes to the front and behaving better than normal. she felt a little disappointed that that was his motivation, but it was still amusing. Ceras raised an eyebrow at her.

"I've noticed that he hasn't been eyeing his usual horde of women or teasing Izzy and Merrill about 'watching them do their thing'. I thought- well, it doesn't matter. He's _scared of you_! It's hilarious!"

Ceras giggled a little bit too, "He's a vile, vile man. Handsome, but vile. I wish you luck with him."

Mina looked down at her feet, "Honestly, I'm not sure what to _do_ with him. I've never had a... well, I guess he'd be my boyfriend... ya know, other than Anders. And, by the way, don't hurt him. I'm going to do it, and I won't let you take it away from me."

Ceras smirked. "I'll leave the mage to you then. But, you'd better do it right! As for Hawke... I'm not sure either. Just be careful. You're awfully clumsy for one of Varric's spies," sh said eyeing Mina's stomach. She sighed and closed her eyes a moment. She was dreading telling Ceras about it, due to the fact that they were sisters and all.

"Um... That wasn't because of something I did. Well, it _was_, but... Anders stabbed me with an ice spike. He lost control of Justice when I hit him for insulting Hawke," she explained in a rush.

Ceras' eyes narrowed. Mina could tell she was pissed. "I take back what I said. I'm going to hurt him. You can do with him what you will, but I'm going to make sure he's miserable."

The blue-eyed Elf hugged her little sister then; gently but it held a fierce sense of protection. Mina stood in shock for a moment, but returned the hug.

"Just... stay safe, sister. I only just met you. It'd be a shame for you to be gone so soon. Anders isn't the same any more, as much as I hate to say it. I promise to take good care of Keter," Mina whispered. Ceras smiled and bent down to her hound.

"Be good, Keter. Listen to Mina, and keep her safe for me. I'll be back as soon as I can." And then she was gone. Mina was left with the large wolf staring at her, seemingly awaiting her instructions.

Mina stared back at him a moment, not sure what to do with him. She was getting rather tired, so she decided to go back to her room. No one would say anything about the wolf due to his sheer size and because they knew that she was Varric's sister and he'd 'persuade' them to let her keep the animal.

"C'mon. It's time for bed. Please don't bite anyone on the way to my room," she said. He let out a soft growl but followed her in. '_I swear, he's gotta be as smart as a mabari_,' Mina thought warily.


	12. Chapter 12

**A/N:** Sorry for the late update guys. I've been sick; still am. Ugh. But I did my best on this chapter. It was requested by one of my readers, and I obliged. Sorry for the poor quality (in my opinion). Hope ya'll like it!

_**Warning: This chapter has sexual content. This is why it's rated M.**_

Mina stretched out on top of her bed, tired but unable to sleep. Ceras' wolf slept in the corner on some blankets she'd found for him. Her floor was normally really cold, and she didn't want him to get sick or anything. She loved animals, and felt a weird connection to wolves since seeing Fen'Harel. She heard someone push her door open and looked to see Garrett sneaking through the door. The wolf growled instinctively.

"It's ok, Keter. He's friendly," Mina said. Hawke's face was comical. His eyes were wide, his mouth agape, and he was frozen in place. It looked like he was seconds from peeing himself. Hearing Mina's voice, the wolf dismissed the strange human and laid his head back down.

"You have a wolf?" Garrett asked, sitting on her bed beside her.

"Yes. And _you _need to learn how to knock," she teased him. He made a face and poked her nose.

"I came to claim that kiss," he replied. She scooted up, leaning on her pillows. As much as she wanted to kiss him, there was a nagging voice at the back of her head. It said that she shouldn't and that it was wrong. Images of Anders flashed through her mind; memories of them helping so many people. They'd grown close while caring for the citizens of Kirkwall. They'd mostly been Ferelden refugees. They were the poor that the rest of Kirkwall refused to help. That made it so much more important to her. It was a good memory among the recent bad ones. Garrett saw the worry etched in her face and put an arm around her carefully.

"Hey, I was teasing you. You don't have to do anything you don't want to, cutie. I promise, I won't push for anything," he said, trying to comfort her.

She smiled at him and leaned her head on his chest, "That's not it at all. I'm just thinking about Anders. I feel guilty about..." she paused and looked at him, "Well, about _this_. We only just broke up, what? Two days ago. Where I'm from, someone usually waits a while."

Garrett frowned and kissed her forehead, "If you want to wait a while, I'll promise to try to be patient. And what do you mean 'this'?"

She blushed for the second time that night and looked away. "That's why I feel guilty. I don't really want to wait. I'm not sure what to call us," she mumbled shyly. He turned her face back to his and brushed some wayward strands of hair out of her eyes.

"You can call us whatever you'd like. I'd like to think that I'm your _lover_," he said with a wicked grin. She could feel her face growing more and more red. His voice had gotten huskier and he was centimeters from her face. Her heart was almost pounding out of her chest. Mina wanted nothing more than to claim his lips with her own and feel his arms around her. The way he said 'lover' made her shiver. '_No. No, no, no, no! Calm down girl. You cannot do anything in the state you're in. Plus, there's friggin Anders_,' she thought to herself. It was pointless to try and reason with herself at that moment. Her mouth seemed to disagree.

"I-I can't. I can't stop thinking about how sad Anders was... Plus, he was my first kiss," her mouth said. She mentally groaned at how stupid she sounded. It was pathetic. That seemed to just spurr Garrett on. He leaned in and trailed his lips down her neck gently.

"I'll make you forget Anders even laid a finger on you," he whispered seductively.

Mina bit her lip and tried to calm her breathing. She didn't quite know what to do. She liked the kissing part, but wasn't sure if she wanted to do anything else. She wasn't sure she could. To prove a point, her stitches decided to sting at that moment.

She gasped in pain and jerked away from him. He paused and moved away from her. Keter's head shot up, ready to jump to her rescue.

"What's wrong Mina? Do I need to go get your father?" he asked automatically out of his flirting mode.

"No. _Ow_. Owowowowow! I'm fine. It's just my stitches. They hurt really bad," she groaned. He looked worried and left her alone so she could adjust. Mina mentally yelled at herself for messing up a perfect opportunity with Garrett. As soon as she started scolding herself, a devious thought popped into her head. It surprised her, but she was happy she'd thought of it. If it worked. She lowered her eyes and looked up at him through her thick lashes. She tried her best to do a 'sexy' low voice.

"Garrett... you could always _distract _me from the pain," she suggested playfully.

He took the bait. With a devilish grin he replied, "Hmm... However would I do that? I'm loathe to take away your innocence." He looked thoughtful a moment and kissed her softly on the lips. She smiled because that's exactly what she'd wanted. His kisses were amazing. He looked at her seriously then.

"Mina, I want you to promise me that if I do something you don't like or that you're uncomfortable with, you'll tell me to stop. I'm dead serious, ok?"

Mina furrowed her brows, confused and nodded, "Of course I will. But, what do you mean?"

He smiled and walked over to the door and locked it with the wooden bar.

Garrett grinned at the woman before him. She was so beautiful. The way her hair fell around her face. He'd loved it long, but it was still cute short. His heart beat fast in his chest. He'd made love to one woman, and had sex with many more. But, Mina was special to him. He wouldn't take her just yet. Even if she hadn't been hurt, it wasn't the right time. At that moment, he just wanted her to stop thinking about Anders. It hurt him to know that he was on her mind so constantly. It hurt him even more when he thought about how she'd chosen the mage over him. He was sure that she hadn't known about his affection even though he blatantly flirted with her and tried to make her jealous. Namely with Ceras.

She stared at him with those big red innocent eyes. He lay beside her and kissed her stomach gently; making a line down to the edge of her pants. He looked up at her for permission. She looked at him in wonder, still unsure. He found it absolutely adorable. He smiled and tugged at her pants, wordlessly trying to make her understand what he wanted to do. It dawned on her, finally. He held back a laugh as her blush deepened and she nodded slowly. It was clear as day that no one had ever done anything intimate with her. No one had caressed her the way he did or held her by the hips the way he did. For a small woman, she definitely had curves. He thought to himself that she had to have bigger breasts than Isabela. A feat in its own. And, how he wanted to hold them and kiss them.

He pulled her pants off, careful not to hurt her torso and then slid her underwear off as well. Her legs were glorious. She was pale, which he loved, and her skin was so smooth. He let his hands glide up and down them as he kissed her thighs. Mina sighed in contentment, making Garrett more eager to please her. He looked up at her, seeing that her eyes were closed and smiled.

"Remember... tell me to stop," he gently reminded.

"Mmmmmhm," she mumbled.

He gently pushed her legs apart and kissed her inner thighs, slowly making his way closer and closer. He could feel her tense each time he kissed. It was time to stop teasing her so much. He slid his tongue inside her, feeling how wet she was already. He moaned, feeling his own pants grow tighter. Trying to ignore it, he wiggled his tongue slowly back and forth, then teased her clit. She let out a moan. He heard her legs move and felt her toes curl, her feet now on his back. Once again he plunged his tongue inside and pulled it back out again, teasing her.

Her moans beckoned him on, telling him he was doing something right. He pulled his mouth away for a moment and inserted a finger, drawing a rather loud cry of pleasure from her. Garrett looked up at her wide eyed face and smiled. Her mouth was open and he noticed her back was starting to arch. He licked his lips and went back to work with his mouth.

Only minutes later did he hear her calling his name softly; almost shyly. He moaned again, wanting her badly, but refusing to do that to her. Her thighs locked around his head, squeezing. He knew she was almost done. He moved his face back and began using his finger again, stroking, pushing and guiding her to release. Each time he stroked a certain way, he was gratified with her gasping "Hawke!" He began stroking faster, rewarded with her arching her back and clawing at the sheets. And she came with a loud, "AH! Garrett!" and a squeeze of her legs.

She relaxed and unwound her legs from him, panting and exhausted. He helped her get her clothes back on and kissed her passionately. He was only too aware of his own arousal. The sounds she made were beautiful and tantalizing.

He pulled her into his arms and smiled. She looked lost for words.

"You liked it then?" he asked amused.

She nodded and smiled sheepishly, "Yes... You are talented with your mouth. I've never done anything like that."

He kissed her nose and her lips, "I'd said you've never done anything with anyone before."

She pouted and glared at him. He chuckled and kept kissing her soft lips. She was too cute. And so sexy even when she tried to be mad at him. He had half a mind to do it again. He knew she was too tired to do so.

"What about you?" she asked shyly, rubbing her leg against his crotch.

He bit his lip and closed his eyes. He wanted to. Maker, he wanted to, but he couldn't. He wouldn't let her do anything.

With a shaky breath, he answered, "I'm fine. I won't let you do that, Mina. You need to sleep."

She smiled and kissed him more, sliding her tongue across his lips. He obliged her happily. Their tongues danced together until they were breathless. Garrett pulled away from her and put a hand on her cheek. She was grinning from ear to ear. He loved making her smile.

"You're still that cute little Elf I saved from the Qunari," he mused.

Mina traced his jawline with her fingertip. "Just cute?" she asked absently.

He rested his head back on her pillows and sighed happily, "No, not just cute. You're so, very beautiful, my love."

Mina looked at him amazed, he red eyes lit up at the pet name. He'd only called her 'cutie' for the longest time. She snuggled into his chest and closed her eyes.

"Last night, I swear you said something as I fell asleep," she mumbled.

Thankful that her eyes were closed, he covered his face with one hand. He was blushing because he was sure she hadn't heard that.

"Hmm? No, I didn't say anything. You must've just been tired. Go to sleep, Mina."

"Mmmkay. Jus' stay wif me," she said sleepily.

"Of course I will."

That night, Hawke didn't dream of his mother or brother dying. He didn't dream of Bethany getting sent to the circle. He didn't dream of any of the failures that haunted him with every waking breath and every terrible night. He simply didn't dream. It was a restful, deep sleep he hadn't had since his mother was killed. He'd hidden it away as best as he could, but he couldn't escape his night terrors. Not alone. Countless times had he woke up screaming. Countless times had he sat in his room bawling and begging the Maker to give them back. He'd given up asking for his father back, but the fresh memories burned into his mind brought back all of those old feelings. So, that night as Mina slept in his arms, he was granted one good night's sleep.

Mina on the other hand did dream. She dreamt of Fen'Harel and the Raven. She dreamt of walking beside a little river surrounded by trees on either side. In the dream she walked beside her wolf and watched the bird fly watchfully above. They talked of magic and love; about the past and present, and of other worlds. He told her of other spirits that roamed close by. She met a spirit of Courage and a spirit of Hope who talked to her happily. Fen'Harel pressed his muzzle gently against her stomach and told her that it should hurt less that following day.

That morning when she awoke, she found that what her friend said was true as she stretched. But, she found that her bed was empty. She got up with a sad sigh and began to get dressed, attempting to put a loose shirt on. She turned to her nightstand to grab a piece of cloth to tie her hair back when she saw a note.

Mina,

I went to take care of something on the Wounded Coast.

The mages took something and I want it back. I'll tell you

what happened later. Aveline, Isabela, and Merrill are with me.

I'll be back tonight. Be careful and stay with Varric.

Hawke

Mina frowned at the note. She knew he pretty much supported the mages, but occasionally talked with Meredith. Why would they take something from him? And what was it? She folded the note and set it back down on her nightstand, eager for her lover to be back.

She whistled for Ceras' wolf and made her way out to the streets of Kirkwall. She was going to go see if Fenris was home. She missed him and she wanted to go to their favorite spot in the woods.


	13. Chapter 13

**A/N: **Felling a bit better now. Though, work is not making it any easier, that's for damn sure. :P Oh well! I'm sorry if you didn't like the last chapter. I did rate the story M for a reason. I'll admit that I don't plan on putting much more of that though. On with the story!

The air was warm and the sun shone brightly down on the streets of Kirkwall. The city was alive with the beginnings of summer. Noble ladies fanned themselves and complained of the heat, while their servants bustled around them, glad of the warmth again. Mina smiled and swung her arms a little as she walked. Despite the dull ache in her stomach, she felt rather good that day. If she could quit almost dying, maybe she could actually enjoy the place she lived. It was a garbage town to be sure, but it had a certain charm to it. There were plenty of diseases, poor people, thugs, and crooked politicians, but that was everywhere even back on earth. Anyone who claimed otherwise was a liar or delusional.

She knocked on Fenris' door, but got no answer. She pulled out her key and let herself in, thinking he'd gotten in a drunken stupor again and was still asleep somewhere. He ended up in the weirdest places sometimes. Once he'd been on top of the canopy to the bed, once in the fireplace- luckily it hadn't been lit- and once he'd been asleep between a wall and a stack of old paintings in a hallway. He beat himself up about what had happened in his past. Especially about with Denarius and his sister. Hawke had stopped him from killing her, but Fenris refused to talk to her or acknowledge that they were family.

She walked around the house, looking for him, but didn't see any of the usual signs of him. No new holes in any of the walls, no broken wine bottles, and no new sword marks anywhere. She took a deep breath.

"FENRIS! Where are you big brother?" che called. Still, the mansion was silent. She remembered that he was going with Ceras, but she hadn't thought about it. Ceras certainly didn't mention anything about it. And, she'd thought that Izzy was making something up just to gossip about. A thought struck her then.

"Oh fuck! _Andraste's ass, I'm stupid_! What if he found out about Anders and went to kill him?!" she thought aloud. Keter looked at her a moment and shook his head. Mina figured he was thinking that she was crazy just then. She didn't care, she had to get to the clinic before it was too late. She wanted revenge, sure, but that didn't mean she wanted to kill the moron. She'd think of some way to hurt him back for shoving a fucking ice spike through her!

She took off running towards the front of the house, but stumbled down the stairs, her wound hindering her from moving very fast at all. She landed with a huff at the bottom of the staircase, sore and regretting trying to run. Keter butted his head against her arm and growled softly at her.

"I know, I know. I shouldn't have tried, but I've gotta find Fenris," she said. He snorted and shook his head quickly. Mina didn't understand wolf. Maybe she'd ask Fen'Harel to teach her... or maybe she'd just ask Ceras.

"Um... We're going to Anders' clinic," she said, trying in vain to get up. Keter growled again and pawed at the ground. He didn't want her to get up.

"I can't stay here, Keter. I've gotta- Owowowowow!" she said trying to stand, "_For fuck's sake this needs to stop_!"

Keter helped her stand and she gratefully leaned on him. She was glad he was so big, despite her uneasiness at first. He was a gentle, smart animal. She could see why Ceras would keep him around. He reminded her of the Dire wolves from 'Game of Thrones'. She'd read it once at the library in Dallas.

She tried to make her way to the door, but each step sent a needle of pain shooting through her. She cried out and fell back to the floor. Keter seemed to be growing impatient. He paced in front of her and growled softly. He whined as he looked between her and the door that was several feet from her. She doubled over and held her stomach in pain. It felt like she was going to split in two. Keter bumped his nose against her head and licked her cheek before running out of the door. She wondered how he even got it open. He may have been smart, but he didn't have hands to open it with. She laughed at the thought as she fell over onto the floor, trying to block out the pain.

She was going to kill Anders for this.

She forced herself to stay conscious. She thought about how she wanted to learn how to ride a horse properly, about how she wished she'd gotten to ice skate on a frozen pond back in Texas. She tried her hardest to remember more about her mother. She remembered a kind smile and dark auburn hair. It was the color of wine or red velvet cake. And, it was only down to her shoulders. Other than that, she couldn't really think of anything else. It was like everything had been erased.

It felt like days before she heard Keter's feet scrambling on the tile. Someone was rushing after him. Mina's breathing was becoming more ragged as she fought to stay awake. It was getting harder to do. She didn't want to be so helpless! It made her mad that she was hurt again. Right after she'd just got her leg back to normal.

The wolf rolled her over, the light from the door almost blinding her. Still, she patted his head. "Thank you, Keter," she whispered. Once again, her hero was above her.

"Damn it, Mina! You've gotta stop getting yourself hurt. You shouldn't even be walking around!" Garrett yelled. He was clearly pissed off. Mina furrowed her brows and wondered what had happened with the mages. Surely it wasn't just her.

He kissed her forehead and picked her up. "C'mon, let's get you back to the Hanged Man," he said in a much softer voice. She nuzzled his neck and sighed. The pain was still pulsing through her, but it was lessened now that he was holding her. She didn't know if he dulled the pain, or if it was the way he carried her.

Thalion and Varric were in her room when they returned. She was scolded by her father, whom she tuned out and let him clean her wound and change her bandages. Of course, he shooed the other men out for that.

She was now laying in bed beside Hawke, listening to Varric scold her... until Thalion left. The dwarf sighed and rubbed his temple.

"It was stupid of you to think you could leave your room, you know. I don't blame you. It would be mind-numbing to sit in bed all day," he said with a smirk.

"I had to make sure Fenris hadn't murdered Anders!" she shouted. As soon as it came out of her mouth, she wished she'd just kept it to herself. Her cheeks were aflame and she stared at her feet.

Hawke stiffened and she could feel him holding his breath. Varric coughed and looked around the room.

"It's... it's not like Fenris could get away with killing someone with everyone watching. I mean... I know he's not the only one who wants to kill the friggin idiot..." she mumbled, trying to save herself.

Varric pushed his chair back to the little table and walked to the door. "I'll be back later. Try not to get up to anything too exhausting for Kitten's sake, Hawke."

He left the couple in an awkward silence. Mina distracted herself by stroking Keter's soft fur. He'd stayed by her side since they'd gotten back to the Hanged Man. She was grateful for him. He was calming. It was like he was her's. She knew he was ever loyal to Ceras, but she wanted to keep him. Maybe she'd get a wolf like him.

Garrett let out a deep breath and ended the silence that seemed to speak volumes.

"I know you still care about him. I don't see how, but I know you do. Maybe this isn't a good time for us to try to do anything, cutie," he started. Mina turned her head and stared at him in dismay.

"Garrett, don't you even! I do care for Anders. So what? He was my first... well, my first boyfriend and my first love, so to speak. He'll always hold a spot in my heart. And as much as I hate it, I can't just make it go away. I want to hurt him. I want to kill the son of a bitch! He hurt me twice now!" she argued, "But don't you dare think that you don't mean anything to me. don't you dare try to push me away like that. _Damn you, Garrett Hawke_!" Tears welled up in her eyes. She couldn't stand the thought of him going away. She liked having him close to her. She liked knowing he had eyes for her. And if she was truthful with herself, she'd had eyes for him since she'd found herself in Kirkwall. No matter how much she'd told herself it was just a silly infatuation and that it was only because he was such a flirt, she wanted him to keep flirting with her.

The look on Hawke's face was incredulous. His breath started coming faster and faster, and before Mina knew it, the dark haired man was crying. She held him and ran her fingers through his hair.

"Shh... Shh, my love. I'm sorry for shouting. What's got you so upset?" she soothed.

Hawke roughly wiped his eyes and looked at her, almost broken.

"They took Bethany. I had to go save her. Those damned mages never know when to quit! It was Grace and the others that we tried to help. She was pissed that they'd got caught and blamed me," he explained.

Mina's eyes widened. Sure, they'd hardly had a chance, but it wasn't Garrett's fault. She couldn't believe they'd take Bethany. She was one of their own.

"I rushed to the wounded coast not but a few hours after you fell asleep. I found them with Ser Thrask. Bethany was laying on the ground in the middle of them... I thought she was...! I thought she was _dead_!" he went on. Mina kept on trying to soothe him. No wonder he was so angry when he'd found her.

"I tried to talk them out of it, but she wouldn't listen to me. She killed Thrask and I had to kill them all. Merrill didn't like it, but she understood why we had to. But... I got Bethany back. Maker, I thought for sure they'd killed her! I-I don't know what I would've done if they had."

Mina shivered at the mental image of what would've happened if her lover had lost the last of his family. She knew it'd break him. No one in Kirkwall would be safe from the Champion's wrath if it'd come to that.

"Knight-Captain Cullen showed up then; Samson was leading him. Of course, the bloody Templars showed up late! They're never around when you need them. At least I was able to save some of the mages."

He paused and looked at Mina for a second.

"I asked Cullen to let me have some time with Bethany before she returned to the circle. And that's when that wolf of yours showed up."

"His name is Keter. He's Ceras' wolf. I'm just taking care of him... no, he's taking care of me. Anyway, is he going to let you spend some time with Bethany?" she asked hopefully. She knew he needed it.

"Yeah. She's in with Varric. Wanna go see her?" he asked, perking up a little.

Mina giggled and nodded, "Of course. Let's go see your sister. I'm afraid of the tales Varric is filling her head with."

Hawke smiled weakly and picked her up, cradling her so that he knew she couldn't escape and try to walk by herself again. Mina could tell that he was still shaken from the whole day; she expected no less. He'd been through a lot. She didn't think it was fair that he'd almost lost everything. This Maker of theirs sure was cruel. If she ever got to see him face to face, she'd have some words for him and maybe a fist for his face. She'd never picked a fight with a god before, but she was willing if it meant making life better for the people she cared about.

Keter followed them to Varric's room and laid in front of the fireplace, earning looks from the two people that were waiting.

Bethany quickly forgot about the wolf and rushed over to Mina and Garrett.

"Holy Andraste! What _happened_ to you, Mina?" Bethany cried, clearly worried. Varric choked on his ale, waiting for Mina to tell Bethany. He knew the sweet girl would let her temper loose. Garrett sat Mina down in a plush chair and sat on the bench next to her.

"Uh... It's kind of a long story, but basically, Anders lost control of Justice and put an ice spike through me," she explained trying to skip telling her about how things were between her and the Champion. Garrett and Varric both caught on and tried not to laugh.

Bethany scowled and smacked her brother, "This is no time to laugh, brother. Anders could've killed her! I knew he couldn't handle that spirit. Maker, I'm going to shove his staff so far up his rear...!" The little mage paused and looked down, embarrassed at her outburst. Mina giggled. It was nothing compared to Isabela, Varric, Fenris, or Garrett, but it was pretty badly mannered for Bethany.

"So, ahem," Bethany went on, "What made him get all... Justice-y?"

Mina could feel her face getting warm. Hawke couldn't help himself and started laughing. Varric hid a smile behind his mug. Bethany looked at them confused, then returned her attention back to the silver-haired Elf.

"_IwaskissingGarrett_," she said in a rush. Bethany squealed and bounced up and down, eyes darting between her brother and Mina.

"You did _what _now?! But I thought you and Anders were together?" she gushed.

Mina sighed and settled back into her chair to explain what had happened. It was a weird story, and to ease her own guilt, she left out the part where it'd all happened in a matter of days. Thankfully Garrett and Varric didn't correct her or add anything of their own in. No doubt Varric would later.

Bethany was angry that Anders had the gall to do such a thing to Mina. She couldn't quite wrap her head around how stupid she thought he was being.

"Let me get this straight. _He_ broke up with _you_ and then just walked away?"

Mina nodded.

"And then, you kiss my idiot of a brother, trying to fix your _broken heart_, and the fool sees this and almost kills you for it?!" She said again, trying to make sure she heard things correctly.

Mina nodded as a voice protested, "That's not exactly how it happened."

Everyone's eyes snapped to the man in the doorway. Keter stood and started growling. It was like he could feel Mina bristling. Varric pointed Bianca at him, and Hawke got up right in his face.

"Yeah? What part did I leave out, Anders?" Mina hissed. She could hardly believe it was Anders or that he was ballsy enough to walk into the Hanged Man. He looked awful; like he hadn't slept in days. Or washed. He looked completely unkempt and almost savage. They could all see the blue faintly glowing behind his eyes. It sent shivers down Mina's spine. For the first time, she was slightly afraid of him.

"The part where I told you that I was trying to protect you. The part where you could hardly _wait_ to jump into Hawke's arms once I was gone!" he snapped back, peering around Hawke. His eyes flashed with hurt, but went blank a split second after.

"You were protecting her? I would've never guessed by the giant stab wound in her fucking stomach!" yelled Hawke, "And, believe me, mate, everyone would know if she'd jumped into my arms. Everyone. In. Thedas."

Anders' eyes glowed bright blue and he looked like he was about to hit Hawke. Mina tensed, ready to jump up and stop them.

"ENOUGH!" yelled Bethany, pushing them apart and hitting each of them in the head lightly, "Anders, you broke up with her. It doesn't matter why. She's not yours to get jealous over any more. Garrett, you're being a dick."

The men backed away from each other and stood angrily eyeing the other. Mina called Keter over to her and started stroking his fur to calm him, but mostly for her own nerves.

Varric put Bianca away and studied the male mage, "Why are you here, Blondie? Not that I want to kick you out, but you seem like you have a reason for coming."

Anders looked at the Dwarf and sighed, "I just wanted to see how Mina was doing. I would never forgive myself if I'd killed her. She's stronger than that, but... I know it was a close call."

He looked at Mina and smiled softly, "You know, despite Hawke's protests, your Thalion insisted that I stay and help him for a while. After we stabilized you, he asked that I leave."

Mina's eyes widened. She didn't know that Anders had helped. She'd been so out of it when she'd woken up. In fact, she hadn't given a second thought to why he wasn't there. But, her thoughts of saving him from Fenris earlier crossed her mind.

"Thalion's my father. I'm surprised he didn't throw you out himself," she started. Anders frowned and looked away.

"But... Hawke had to bring me back here earlier because I had run off, terrified that Fenris had killed you," she admitted. His eyes darted back to her and a genuine smile spread across his face.

"You... you were really worried about me?" he asked. She didn't know if he remembered what she'd said before she passed out after he'd impaled her. She kind of hoped not.

"Uh-huh. Couldn't let someone do my work for me," she said with a smirk. She was half serious. She was going to get the asshole back for what he did. And there was Ceras... no doubt he'd suffer plenty by the time her sister was done with him.

"Ah, well... I should get back to the clinic. I haven't been there for two days. I'm sure people are in a panic," he said and left.

Mina sighed and squeezed the bridge of her nose. She wasn't quite sure what to do with him. He was such a dumbass. He tried too hard to make things better by himself. The way things were going, he'd end up just screwing himself even more.


End file.
